65 



THE EEED-WAEBLEE. 



Acrocephalus streperus (Yieill.) 



It is as difficult in this species, as in the Wood- Warbler, 

 to draw any conclusions as to its method of arrival and 

 dispersal. Its distribution in England is so local that it 

 was hardly recorded until after it had reached its breeding- 

 quarters. 



A few were recorded from Cambridge and Norfolk in 

 the last half of April, but there is no evidence to show 

 how these birds arrived. The next arrivals are recorded 

 from the southern counties, Berkshire, Hampshire and 

 Somerset, on April 30th and May 3rd. It is possible that 

 some of these latter passed on northwards, as we get 

 records from Cheshire on May 5th, while the birds 

 recorded from Kent on the 7th " in full song " probably 

 arrived also about the same time. 



On May 10th there seems to have been an increase 

 in the numbers of birds in Suffolk, and on the 12th in 

 Shropshire, but there is no indication as to how these 

 extra numbers came ; those recorded from Lancashire on 

 the 10th, however, probably formed part of the same 

 movement. 



The Kent, Suffolk and Shropshire birds may indicate an 

 arrival in the south-east and a movement in a north- 

 westerly direction, but the records are so few that it is 

 impossible to make more than a suggestion. 



By May 14th the Eeed- Warbler seems to have settled 

 down in its breeding-quarters in Sussex, and by the 22nd 

 in the northern half of the area of its distribution. 



