the Birds of Chinkianff. 443 



Swinhoe (under L. insvlaris Wallace, P. Z. S. 1871, p. 352) 

 states that " it comes to Amoy in May in large numbers, 

 and disappears again almost immediately, probably into the 

 interior of China or beyond." Pere David apparently did 

 not meet with this Warbler. Neither Rickett nor I have 

 observed it near Foochow or elsewhere in Fohkien. Seebohm 

 C Birds of Japan/ p. 72) states that " this species breeds 

 near Lake Baikal and in the valley of the Amoor. It passes 

 along the coasts of China and Japan on migration, to winter 

 in the islands of the Malay Archipelago/' I took the 

 following notes on the male specimen mentioned above : — 

 Iris rich brown ; upper mandible blackish, edged with pink ; 

 lower mandible pink, suffused with plumbeous ; legs dark 

 flesh-coloured; claws much lighter flesh-coloured. Total 

 length 7-30 in., bill 0*61 in., wing 3"20 in., tail 2" 70 in., 

 tarsus T02 in. Testes large. The ovary of the female was 

 not very much developed. 



27. ACROCEPHALUS ORIENTALIS (T. & S.). 



Styan, Ibis, 1891, p. 340. 

 These Reed- Warblers arrive at the end of April in great 

 numbers. They start building in May, and I have obtained 

 full clutches on May 26 and 27. The majority ci the first 

 nests, however, do not contain the full number of eggs before 

 the first week of June. Nest-building and laying goes on 

 right through that month and also during July; for 1 have 

 taken incubated eggs on July 1, and have had a fresh egg- 

 brought to me on July 11. There are, doubtless, several 

 broods in the season. The outer shape of the nests is most 

 variable ; sometimes very little material is used, and some- 

 times the egg-cavity is sunk in a large quantity of weeds 

 and grasses. They are generally attached to two or three 

 reeds, occasionally to as many as five or six, this depending 

 on how close the reeds grow, while they are built at a height 

 of five or six feet from the ground. When the river is high 

 and the reed-beds are flooded, the growth of the stems 

 probably maintains them several feet above the water. The 

 material employed consists of dry coarse and fine grasses, 



