BRITISH BIRDS. 31 



A spring visitor to southern counties of England, but its 

 distribution is as yet undetermined owing to long confusion 

 with the last species. It nests annually near Taunton in 

 Somersetshire and a nest has been found recently near Bath 

 (Zool., 1894, p. 304) ; has also been said to have bred on 

 one, or perhaps two, occasions near Gloucester, while Mr. 

 Saunders has examined a nest and eggs taken some years 

 ago in Cambridgeshire. A nest and eggs taken near 

 Banbury, Oxfordshire, is in Natural History Museum. The 

 bird has also been identified in other districts. Nest 

 appears never to be suspended over water, and seems to be 

 usually found among osiers or in rank herbage near the 

 water. Eggs: 4 to 7; clouded and spotted with olive-brown 

 and with underlying spots of grey ; ground tint whiter and 

 markings less numerous than in Reed Warblers' eggs ; size 

 "73 by '55- Song is described as more attractive and 

 of much greater compass than Reed Warbler's. 



39. Aeroeephalus turdoides (Meyer). 

 GREAT REED-WARBLER. 



Hab. Europe, south of Baltic and English Channel ; 

 also Asia Minor and North Africa ; migrating southward 

 in winter from Europe. 



Male : upper plumage olive-brown with an indistinct 

 whitish streak over eye ; wing and tail feathers with 

 buffish margins ; tail graduated or wedge-shaped ; under 

 plumage pale brown, whitish on throat and centre of 

 belly ; bill yellowish-brown, darker at tip ; tarsi brown. 

 Length 7*80 ; wing 3*80. Female similar, but a little 

 smaller. 



A very rare visitor. Mr. Harting (p. 14) says : " The 

 nest has been found in Surrey, Kent, Hants, Herts, and 

 Northamptonshire." No other authority, however, appears 

 to corroborate this statement. Mr. Saunders (p. 75) 



