NOTES. 235 



obtained in Hampshire and Sussex, and half-a-dozen from 

 the Shetlands, all obtained on the spring migration. Thus 

 it seems certain that this form of the Willow- Wren occurs 

 regularly on migration through England and Scotland, and 

 since I have examples from Finmarken and have seen others 

 from north Norway obtained in the breeding season, it seems 

 that the breeding range must be extended further westward 

 than Dr. Hartert states. 



That this subspecies occurs also on the return migration 

 in autumn is probable, but I know no certain way of 

 differentiating them from our own birds in autumn plumage. 

 It is not surprising that it should have hitherto been over- 

 looked in Great Britain, since it arrives when the leaf is out 

 and when our birds are nesting, and consequently at a time 

 when few examples are obtainable for examination. 



This is the species described by H. Seebohm as Phylloscopus 

 gaetkei {Ibis, mil, p. 92). 



Six specimens were shown by me at the October meeting 

 of the British Ornithologists' Club, all obtained from 

 Hampshire. C. B. Ticehurst. 



NESTING HABITS OF THE MARSH- WARBLER. 



I AM interested in Mr. Bunyard's notes on the Marsh- Warbler 

 in the November issue. I have had considerable experience 

 with this species during the last three years in Gloucestershire. 

 — and as regards the nest, its situation and construction, my 

 observations confirm those of Mr. Bunyard. The nests 

 I have seen have been in willow-herb, wormwood, figwort, 

 meadow-sweet, and nettles, and the clutch generally consists 

 of five eggs, occasionally only four. The 18th to 24th June 

 I have found to be the best average date for fresh eggs. 



I have, however, failed to notice the " extreme shyness " 

 commented on by Mr. Bunyard. The sitting birds almost 

 invariably allowed of close observation, and when building 

 or feeding young were quite unusually careless. The song 

 is freely uttered throughout the day, although certainly 

 more so in the late afternoon, and is extraordinarily rich and 

 melodious. The singing bird generally perches near the top 

 of a low bush, frequently on the branch of a willow-tree, and 

 seldom amongst the undergrowth, like the Reed- Warbler. 



The eggs are certainly larger than Continental specimens, 

 and present two distinct types, viz. : (1) the usual and well- 

 known one ; (2) that in which the markings are uniformly 

 brown. Neither type can possibly be mistaken for eggs of 

 any other British species. Norman Gilroy. 



