406 THE REED WEEN. 



157. THE REED WEEN. 



Sylvia or Motacilla Arundinacea, Lix. La Fauvctte des osea.ux, BUF. 

 Der Feichsanger, BECH. 



Description. This bird is often confounded not only with 

 others of a similar plumage, but is described in place of 

 the Reed Thrush (Turdus Arundinaceus, LIN.), and from its 

 habit of life imagined to be the same as the Reed Bunting 

 (Emberiza Schcenilus, LIN.). It is five inches in length, of 

 which the tail measures two inches. The beak is seven lines 

 long, brown on the upper mandible, while the lower is a red- 

 dish flesh colour. The iris is chestnut brown ; the feet eight 

 lines in height, lead-coloured, and having a strong hinder claw. 

 The upper part of the body is olive brown, darkest on the 

 forehead and poll, and lightest on the rump ; the cheeks are 

 the same colour ; and a yellowish white line passes over each 

 eye. The knees are olive grey; the foremost pen feathers 

 blackish, the hindmost dark brown, and all edged with olive 

 brown. The coverts are like the back ; the tail feathers like 

 the pen feathers, but with a broader edge of olive brown ; the 

 tail very rounded, and almost wedge-shaped. 



The female is hardly distinguishable from the male. The 

 head is light brown, and a white stripe passes between the 

 eyes ; the upper part of the body is reddish grey ; the throat 

 white ; the breast and belly whitish grey, tinged with yellow; 

 the pen feathers of a darker brown than the tail feathers, and 

 edged with olive grey. 



Habitat. The Reed Wren is found all over Europe, where- 

 ever there are reeds and rushes, up and down which it is 

 constantly climbing. It is a bird of passage, departing at the 

 beginning of September, and returning in the middle of April. 



In confinement it is a very delicate bird, and must be kept 

 in a Nightingale cage. 



Food. In a wild state the Reed "Wren feeds on aquatic 

 insects, and, in case of necessity, will also eat berries. 



In the aviary it thrives best on Nightingale's food, mixed 

 with insects. 



Breeding. The nest of the Reed Wren, which is long and 

 ingeniously fastened to the reeds and bushes among which it 

 is built, is composed of grass stalks woven together, and lined 

 either with finer stalks or with hair and wool. The eggs, 

 which are five or six in number, are greenish white, spotted 



