444 Mr. J. D. D. La Touche -Field-Notes on 



roots, and water-weeds. The lining is of seeded grass-tops, 

 generally of stripped reed-tops, which are of a bright yellow 

 colour. The outer measurements of thirteen nests taken on 

 May 26 and 27 and June 1, 3, and 6 vary from 3| in. to 

 6 in. in height and from 3| in. to 4f in. in diameter. The 

 inner measurements are : depth of cup 2 to 3 in. and dia- 

 meter 2 to 2i in. ; the average measurements being roughly, 

 depth of cup 2^ in., diameter 2^ in. The back wall of the 

 nest is nearly always higher than the front, sometimes as 

 much as 1 inch. The full clutch appears to vary from 

 three to five. The most usual shape of the eggs is longish 

 ovate, with both ends attenuated and approaching to 

 oval. Some eggs are perfectly oval and some are truly 

 ovate. An abnormal clutch taken on June 3 has two of the 

 three eggs of a broad blunt ovate shape. The ground- 

 colour is very pale greenish blue, or sometimes pale sea- 

 green, and they are blotched, spotted, or speckled with 

 different shades of umber-brown and dark purple over more 

 or less apparent reddish-purple underlying marks, the brown 

 spots having a greenish and mossy appearance. The eggs 

 are very variable in size and markings, some being thickly 

 blotched, while others are merely covered with small specks. 

 Forty-six eggs average 0*85 x 0*62". The longest measures 

 0-91 X 0-64", the shortest 0*78 x 0-61". The broadest is 

 O82x0'G7", and the narrowest diameter (fairly common) is 

 060". 



Some of the females taken along with the eggs and nests 

 described above were assuming fresh plumage, some were 

 in old faded dress, and one or two had newly moulted. 

 Wing 3-06 to 3T8 in. 



A male shot on May 5 and another on May 29 were 

 assuming fresh plumage : wing 3'20 and 3'35 in. One shot 

 on May 20 had bright new feathers, with the tail in moult : 

 wing 3*30 in. 



28. ACROCEPHALUS BISTRIGICEPS SwinllOC 



Styan, Ibis, 1891, p. 340. 

 Two examples were shot on May 21 in a sedge-field, and 



