4 MARSH WARBLER. 



than those of A. arundinacea, whitish, lightly tinted with greenish 

 turquoise, and scattered over with olive ash-coloured spots and cloudy 

 lines and points." 



This bird is sometimes met with in Piedmont, and has been observed 

 in Lombardy (Bettoni), in Venetia (Prini), in the Tyrol, in Modena 

 (Doderlein), in Liguria (Calvi and Dnrazzo), but it is rather rare 

 everywhere. Malherbe records three having been taken in Sicily, 

 but, as it appears, without foundation. L'Hausmann says it is a bird 

 of passage in Sardinia, and rare. 



Doderlein says of this species, "That it differs from arundinacea by 

 having the beak more depressed, by its brown mantle — olive or greenish 

 brown — going into ash-colour, as well as by its less aquatic habits, 

 and by the manner in which it constructs its own nest, which is 

 sometimes met with in Modena. According to the observations of 

 naturalists, it for the most part frequents damp meadows overflown 

 with rivulets, as well as marshy ground like arundinacea. It arrives 

 in spring, and, as justly remarked by Savi and Schinz, it makes its 

 nest at the foot of willows and in the grass in the meadows, not 

 upon the stems of rushes like armidinacea. It goes away again in 

 September. It is doubtful if it exist in Sicily. Benoit denies it. — 

 (Malherbe.)" 



The following is from Count Muhle's description of its habits: — 

 "The Marsh Warbler is a very neat merry bird. Quick in all its 

 movements, it is equally active in skipping through the bushes as in 

 flight. Bold and enterprising, it becomes also arrogant and tyrannical 

 in its combats with other birds dwelling around it. It seems never 

 to repose, and hardly does the eye catch it than its voice is heard 

 perhaps a hundred paces farther off. Of all the Reed Warblers it 

 has the most beautiful and varied song, enlivening an otherwise dull 

 and monotonous part of the country. It is a master in imitation, and 

 knows quite well how to blend in a delightful whole the different 

 songs of the surrounding birds. In warm summer it sings all night 

 through, and so charmingly in the stillness of the time and scene, 

 that we are tempted to compare it with the Nightingale. Its call-note 

 is not often heard, but is similar to that of other Reed Warblers. 

 Its nest is never placed over water, nor even over marshy ground; 

 it is found in shrubs and bushes from one to three feet above the 

 ground: the inside is deep, like that of other Reed Warblers' nests, 

 and formed of delicate grass blades, straws, nettle fibres, and spiders' 

 webs. It is lined with very fine straw and a tolerable quantity of 

 horse-hair. It lays four or five eggs, which are bluish white, sparingly 

 spotted with delicate grey dots, and olive brown and ash grey spots." 



