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SOME EXPERIENCES OF THE


GRASSHOPPER-WARBLER.


By Percy W. Fakmborough, F.Z.S.


During the past few months there has been a great deal of

discussion in the correspondence columns of our Magazine on

the subject of the Warblers in captivity, and it occurred to me

that I might supplement others' experiences with my own.


Some time ago, having occasion to spend a short time at

Sandwich in Kent, I noticed that several specimens of the

Grasshopper Warbler {Locustella ncEvia) were flying about the

sand}^ downs skirting the sea-shore at a point situated about

midwaj^ between Deal and the estuary of the river Stour. For

several days I made persistent efforts to discover the nests and

eggs of these birds, but signally failed until about a week after

commencing the senrch, when I was rewarded \yy finding a nest

containing unfledged j^oung placed rather deeply in a coarse tuft

of sedge-grass (I think that that is the name of the grass I

mean, it grows in tufts, is cylindrical and about two feet long)

which I must have passed by and examined a score of times

at least before I found the nest ; and even on this occasion the

nest would not have been found if it were not for the fact that

the hen was flushed from the tuft of grass, thus drawing my

attention to it.


The spot was marked, and, about nine or ten days after-

wards, was visited once again. The young were fledged and very

shy, cowering down into the nest and striving to make themselves

as unobserved as possible. As I was returning to town that day,

I took the brood, doubting whether they could be successfully

reared. For a few da5'S they lived, being fed on yolk of 0^%%

mixed with ants'-eggs and milk, but one by one they sickened

and died.


A week later, I was obliged to go once again to Sandwich,

and, only having a couple of days to spare, I took a small trap-

cage and a tin box of mealworms down with me, in addition to a

very powerful field-glass — one magnifying to i8 diameters.

After transacting my business I retired to rest, and was up

betimes the next morning. The clock was striking three as

I was crossing the downs to my post of observation. The

morning was beautifully clear, and bird-life was well manifested.

The trap (a single one) was baited with a few mealworms, and

carefully set in a large bed or clump of grass-growth covering



