Birds from Henderson Island. 345 



plentiful ill the interior of the island^ wliicli probably lives 

 on tiny land-molluscs, which abound in the scanty soil 

 over the high land) ; one dove, pink-crested, found more 

 or less in flocks of about twenty or more. 'Mutton birds ' 

 [Pifffinus sp. ?) were very plentiful, and laid their eggs on tlic 

 ground among tlie scrub in more or less secluded places 

 all over the island ; white terns were also plentiful ; 

 noddies were not so plentiful ; frigate-birds were numerous ; 

 one species of small brown bird with white tail-feathers, 

 similar to one at Pitcaiiii." 



The last-named species was evidently the Sedge- Warbler 

 described below. 



ACROCEPHALUS TATTI. 



Acrocephalus taiti Ogilvie-Grant, Bull. B, O. C. xxxi. 

 p. 58 (1913). 



Adult male and female. General colour above earth- 

 brown, the greater wing-coverts with pale edges and the 

 four outer tail-feathers tipped with white in decreasing 

 proportions from the third outwards to the sixth pair ; 

 lores, eyebrow-stripes, and underparts white tinged with 

 buff; thighs dusky; under wing-coverts and bend of the 

 wing washed with pale fawn-colour. Iris brow^n in the male, 

 red in the female ; bill grey ; feet slate-grey. 



Adult male. Total length about 180 mm. ; culmen from 

 feathers on forehead 16*5 ; wing 84; tail 77 ; tarsus 32. 



Adult female. Total length about 177 mm. ; culmen from 

 feathers on forehead 15"5 ; wing 79 ; tail 74; tarsus 29. 



Another male has a large portion of the plumage showing 

 that curious tendency to albinism which is so often to be 

 found in the allied A. vaughani Sharpe, from Pitcairn 

 Island. This individual has the head mostly white, with 

 the exception of a few dark feathers on the forehead and 

 occiput ; the feathers of the uppcrparts and wing-coverts 

 are a mixture of brown and white, many of the brown 

 feathers being tipped with whitish, producing a mottled 

 appearance ; primary-quills mostly dark brown, one or two 

 of the middle and inner ones being tipped with white ; 



2b2 



