334 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
mounted specimens which have been any time dry. The habits, 
song, nest and eggs of the two birds are widely different, and the 
observation of these furnishes the best test for discovering the 
presence of the hitherto reputed scarcer bird. | was sanguine 
that, if the bird still visited the country near Taunton, I should 
be able to discover ‘it, as I was able to secure the services of 
Coates, the birdstuffer, who, some twenty years ago, accompanied 
Dr. Woodforde when his birds with their nest were taken. Coates 
was well acquainted with the peculiar song of the male Marsh 
Warbler, which is very sweet and of considerable power, and 
also with the bird’s more lively habits and more generous display 
of itself, in comparison with the Reed Warbler, which keeps itself 
for the most part concealed among rank herbage, where it creeps 
about like a mouse. 
This spring Coates was told to keep a keen watch for the bird, 
and I am now able to describe the success of his search, which 
has resulted in the detection of four nests and the capture of one 
fine adult male Marsh Warbler. The first nest discovered was 
less than a quarter of a mile distant from the field where 
Dr. Woodforde’s examples had been obtained, and the song of 
the male bird led to its detection. Accompanied by Coates, 
Mr. John Marshall, of Belmont, Taunton, went to view this nest 
in situ on the 22nd June last. ‘The place chosen by the birds 
was a small withy-bed adjoining tbe turnpike-road connecting 
Taunton and Milverton, by the side of a small trout-stream, and 
almost opposite a roadside public-house. The nest was com- 
posed externally of dry bents, into which were woven one or two 
poultry feathers, doubtless obtained from the fowls belonging to 
the aforesaid hostelry, and very neatly lined with an abundance 
of horse-hair, gray and brown. It was very compact, of a cup- 
shape, and was dexterously attached to three stems of Spirea 
(meadow-sweet), which the birds had drawn together with grass 
bents, and was about a foot and a half from the ground. It con- 
tained four eggs, very different in character from the eggs of the 
Reed Wren, with a number of which they were compared. These 
Marsh Warbler’s eggs were larger; their ground colour was a 
creamy white, slightly tinged with green; a few olive blotches 
were scattered over them, chiefly at the larger ends, where in 
some of the eggs they formed a dark zone; the pointed ends of 
the eggs were spotless. An attempt was made, after taking the 
