Booth: Nesting of the Grasshopper Warbler. 169 
dates of each nest. In any literature on birds that I have read 
I never remember seeing anything definite on this subject. 
There are numerous vague and bare statements that this species 
is —or ‘is sometimes,’ etc., double-brooded ; or that nests 
found late in the season were probably a second brood ; but 
no such clear evidence has, as yet been produced equal in value 
to the observations of Mr. Longbottom. The two nests were 
within forty yards of each other, and with an Elder-bush from 
which the male most usually ‘ reeled’ in an indirect line between 
them. In confirmation of the above facts I may say that I 
visited the first nest containing six eggs on June 3rd, and the 
second nest with six young about three days old on July 24th. 
It was curious to note on the latter date that the female con- 
tinually brooded the young, and if flushed, immediately 
returned and without any ‘feed.’ This kept the male very busy 

Photo by] {H. B. Booth. 
General view of the site of the Grasshopper Warbler’s 
Nests after the second brocd, had left. 
feeding the family, and on one occasion he returned with a 
fairly large moth that looked quite out of proportion for 
such tiny babes. It may have been broken up or may have 
been food for the female. On Aug. 28th, some time after the 
second brood had left the nest, together with Mr. Longbottom, 
I thoroughly, but unsuccessfully, searched around in the hope 
of seeing young or old Grasshopper Warblers, and with the 
remote possibility of discovering a third nest. The dense 
undergrowth was then up to—and even over—our heads. 
Anyone familiar with the mouse-like movements of this species 
in dense undergrowth can well afford to smile at two humans 
endeavouring to hunt Grasshopper Warblers in such a situation 
—more especially with a lumpy and holey bottom ; but we 
1916 May 1. 
