134 LOCUSTELLA 



but a short distance, and takes refuge in the dense herbage 

 from which it is most difficult to dislodge it. Its nest is placed 

 on the ground and is carefully concealed amongst the grass and 

 dense herbage. The eggs 4 to 6, usually 5 in number, are 

 deposited in June and are pale rose-coloured, finely dotted with 

 pale brownish red, or pale rose with almost imperceptible dots, 

 or sometimes they have fine hair-like blackish streaks, chiefly 

 round one end ; or occasionally the brownish red spots are more 

 numerous round the larger end forming a wreath. In size they 

 average .about 076 by 0'54. 



190. MIDDEXDORFF'S GRASSHOPPER- WARBLER. 

 LOCUSTELLA OCHOTENSIS. 



Locustella ochotensis, (Midd.) Sib. Eeise. ii. p. 185. pi. 16 fig. 7 and 8. 

 (1853) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 113 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. 

 p. 591, taf. iv. figs. 1, 2 ; L. subcerthiola, Swinlioe, Ibis, 1874 p. 154 ; 

 A. blakistoni, id. Ibis, 1876, p. 332, pi. viii ; A dybowsJcii, Eidg. 

 Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vi. p. 92. 



Shima- senniu, Jap. 



$ ad. (E. Siberia). Upper parts wings and tail russet brown obscurely 

 marked with light brown, except on the upper wing coverts and inner 

 secondaries where the markings are stronger ; supercilium narrow and 

 obscure ; outer tail-feathers with a subterminal blackish band, and tipped 

 with dull white ; underparts white, the breast, flanks and undertail-coverts 

 washed with brownish buff ; bill dark horn, yellowish at the base of the 

 lower mandible ; legs pale rusty brown ; iris brown. Culmen 0'7, wing 

 2'72, tail 2'3, tarsus 0*95 inch, first quill very small, second about equal to 

 the fourth, third longest. Sexes alike ; the young bird has the upper parts 

 darker, the under parts washed with buffy yellow, and the throat and 

 breast with indistinct darker markings. 



Hob. The shores of the sea of Ochotsk, Kamchatka, the 

 Kuriles and Bering's island, passing through Japan on migra- 

 tion, and wintering in the Malay archipelago. 



It inhabits willow bushes and thickets in damp places, and is 

 said to sing chiefly at night, uttering a song which is said to 

 resemble the sharpening of a scythe, and is syllabled as u'itsche, 

 ivitsche, witsche, witsche. It builds on the ground, amongst the 

 grass, an open, cup-shaped nest of dried grass lined with 

 feathers, and deposits in June 5 or 6 eggs, pale rose-coloured, 

 unspotted, but marked with one or two fine blackish lines at the 

 larger end, which sometimes form a wreath. In size they 

 average about 0'8 by 0'57. 



