32 BRITISH BIRDS. 



remarks that none of the reports of its breeding are 

 authenticated ; he reduces also the occurrences of the bird 

 to eight, the first being the example obtained near New- 

 castle in 1847, and the rest being allotted to Kent, Essex, 

 Hampshire, and Norfolk. 



40. Aeroeephalus aquatieus (Gmel,). 



AQUATIC WARBLER. 



Hab. Central Europe, north to N. Germany and S. 

 Denmark, west to Central France, east to Central Russia ; 

 also North Africa. In winter south to Africa. 



Mature bird has a distinctive streak of pale buff along 

 the centre of the crown, bordered on each side by a 

 blackish streak, which is succeeded again by a buff stripe 

 above the eye ; ear-coverts pale brown ; nape and back 

 buffish-brown, streaked with black ; rump more rufous ; 

 lower parts yellowish-buff; throat and flanks with fine 

 streaks of brown ; bill brown above, paler below ; tarsi 

 yellowish-brown. Length 4' 75. 



Three examples are known to have been taken, viz., 

 one shot near Brighton (1853), a second taken near 

 Loughborough (1864), and a third shot near Dover, prior 

 to 1871. 



41. Aeroeephalus phragmitis (Beeh.). 



SEDGE- WARBLER. 



Hab. Europe (excepting S.W. portion), north to lat. 

 70 in Norway, but scarce in the south, east to Ural 

 Mountains, south to N. Italy ; also Siberia, east to the 

 Yenesei, and Palestine. 



Male ; crown pale brown, streaked with dark brown, 

 and bordered by a noticeable yellowish-white streak above 

 each eye ; ear-coverts brown ; nape and mantle reddish- 

 brown, suffused with dark brown ; rump and upper tail- 



