ACROCEPHALUS 121 



Hab. Egypt, Transcaspia, Persia, Bokhara, Turkestan, Kashmir, 

 Nepal, Sind, and Ceylon, wintering on the plains of India from 

 the Himalayas to Ceylon, and from Sind to Assam and southern 

 Pegu. 



In general habits it does not differ from A. arunditmceus and 

 frequents the same localities, but its song is said to differ not a 

 little and to be louder. Its call-note is a loud tckaJc, often 

 repeated. The breeding season is from May to August accord- 

 ing to locality, and the nest is built amongst the reeds or in 

 the fork of a low bush, always over water. It is deep, cup- 

 shaped, constructed of aquatic herbage, fine roots, grass, and 

 fibres, and 4 eggs are usually deposited. These vary con- 

 siderably both in ground colour and markings. In most the 

 ground colour is pale green or greenish white occasionally with 

 a bluish tinge, in some it is creamy stone- colour ; some are 

 stippled with numerous minute specks, and spotted and 

 blotched with greyish black, inky purple, olive-brown, yellowish 

 olive and reddish umber, whereas in others the stippling is 

 wanting and the markings are smaller and less well defined, 

 and in most the markings are most numerous at the larger 

 end. Average size about 0'89 by 0*61. 



173. SCHRENCK'S REED- WARBLER. 

 ACROCEPHALUS BISTRIGICEPS. 



Acrocephaelus bistriyiceps, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1860, p. 51 ; Seebohm, Cat. 

 B. Br. Mus. v. p. 94 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 465 ; (Gates), F. Brit. 

 Ind. Birds, i. p. 358 ; A. maackii (Schrenck), Reis. Amurl. i. pt. 2. 

 p. 370, pi. xii. figs. 4, 5 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 236 ; (David and 

 Oust.) Ois. Chine, p. 254. 



(J ad. (Japan). Upper parts russet brown, the head, wings, and tail 

 greyer, rump and margins of quills and tail rufescent ; a narrow but distinct 

 whitish superciliary stripe, above which is a dark brown, broad stripe ; 

 lores and feathers behind the eye russet brown ; chin and throat nearly 

 white ; breast and flanks pale rufous brown, the centre of abdomen and 

 under .tail-coverts pale buff ; upper mandible brown, the lower flesh- 

 coloured, brown at tip ; legs plumbeous flesh ; iris dark brown. Culmen 

 0'6, wing 21, tail 2'1, tarsus 0'8 inch ; first primary 0'5 long, second inter- 

 mediate between 6tli and 7th. 



Hob. Siberia east of the Argun, Saghalien, and Japan ; 

 wintering in Southern Pegu and Tavoy. 



In habits it does not differ appreciably from its allies and 

 frequents moist and marshy places. It is an industrious 



