THE GRASSHOPPER WARBLER. 127 



The nest is not very easily found ; it is placed on or 

 near the ground, but is always carefully hidden by grass or 

 herbage, and the bird approaches and leaves it by cautiously 

 creeping along the ground. The materials consist of grass 

 and fine moss; it is firmly built, and cup-shaped. The 

 eggs are of a pale reddish- white, thickly speckled all over 

 with dark reddish-brown, interpersed with paler and greyer- 

 underlying spots of the same character ; they vary but 

 little; from five to seven is the number laid. .Should the 

 nest be taken or destroyed, the parents appear to grieve 

 but little, and in a few hours commence building another 

 nest within a few yards of the same spot. During the 

 breeding season the adult female is even more cautious and 

 retiring than at other times. 



The nest of this bird is often appropriated by the 

 Cuckoo as a depository for its eggs. 



The length of the Grasshopper Warbler is about five 

 inches and three-quarters ; the bill dusky brown ; the 

 lower mandible slightly yellowish, the upper a little 

 notched ; corners of the mouth reddish-yellow ; iris brown ; 

 crown of head, nape, and back of neck olive-brown, the 

 centres of the feathers being darker, giving a spotted 

 appearance ; chin yellowish- white ; throat and breast pale 

 yellowish-brown, tinted on the sides with olive, and spotted 

 with darkish brown; back olive-brown, mottled by the 

 feathers being lighter in the centres. The wings are very 

 short, reaching only a little way below the beginning of 

 the tail; primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries dark dusky 

 brown, with edges of reddish-brown ; greater and lesser 

 under wing-coverts light yellowish-grey ; the tail is rather 

 long and much rounded, brown in colour, and obscurely 

 banded ; under tail-coverts pale brown ; legs strong, and 



