464 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
bank, and a bank of very high reeds on the other. I had not gone far up 
the windings of this channel, pushing aside the tall Lythrum and Eupatoria 
as I went, when the bird in question rose out of the coarse herbage and 
instantly entered the reed-bed opposite. Being struck with its appearance, 
which differed both in size, colour, and manner of flight from the Reed 
Warblers that I had met with more or less all day, I signalled to my keeper, 
who was carrying my marsh-jumping pole, and when he came up I sent my 
retriever into the reeds where the bird had entered. The bird moved 
through the reeds at once before the dog, and my keeper seeing it, forced it 
out by a thrust or two of the pole. It flew along the water-course very low, 
just topping the cresses, with a weak fluttering flight, and some dust-shot 
then struck it down. I anticipated no difficulty in identifying it by a 
reference to Gould’s ‘ Birds of Great Britain,’ and I turned at once to the 
description of the Thrush Warbler, Acrocephalus turdoides. Beautiful, 
however, as are the plates, and admirable as are the popular descriptions in 
this work, it is unfortunately wanting generally in precise information as 
to measurements, colour, &c., and in this instance nothing beyond the plate 
is given towards identifying a supposed specimen. Gould's figure measures 
8 inches; my bird measures 7 inches. The general aspect, structure and 
size of the bill, and markings—as far as the bird possesses them—agree, 
with the exception of feet and tarsi, which in the coloured plate are of a pale 
yellowish brown, and in my freshly-killed bird a very decided light bluish 
slate-colour. Without professing to give a scientific description of my bird, 
I should describe it as follows :—Bill, upper mandible brown; lower, pur- 
plish brown, lighter towards the gape; point to gape, one inch exactly. 
Top of head raw umber-brown, with a lighter line over the eye from the 
base of the bill to the top of the auricles. Upper portion of head, neck, 
back, wing-coverts, primaries, secondaries, and tertials, umber-brown, with 
a raw sienna tint. Rump and tail the same brown, with a reddish yellow 
tint. Chin whitish. Under parts whitish, tinged with raw sienna, deeper 
on the coverts of the thighs. Under tail-coverts tinged with yellow-brown. 
Greater wing-coverts aud primaries faintly margined on outer webs and 
ends of feathers. Eleven feathers in tail; middle feather the longest; tail 
cuneiform. Irides brown. Length from point of bill to end of tail, 73 in. 
Tarsi bluish slate, 1; iu. long; toes brownish. Second quill-feather the 
longest in the wing. The bill is strong, and the form of the head very like 
a Redwing’s; in other respects the form more nearly resembles the aquatic 
warblers, though somewhat more elongated. Can you help me to identify 
this species? I have been particular in a description of its “ manners” 
when first moved, since its disinclination to leave the reed-bed and its very 
short flight coincide with Gould’s description of the Thrush Warbler. Its 
greater length and deeper colouring are the chief points where agreement is 
wanting; but perhaps, if his work has a fault, it is in its general too high 
—— 
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