8 MARSH WARBLER. 



which, he remarks, was inimitable, and but feebly replaced by the 

 less melodious song of arundinacea. Having paid a visit in July to 

 the village D'Heremence, he had a good opportunity of studying 

 what he calls "their harmonious melange of flute-like and infinitely 

 varied tones." He then more particularly describes the "chanson 

 matinale" of the lovely bird, which appears to be a continued series 

 of " mockings " of the notes of other birds: — 



"From this moment there was nothing but an uninterrupted imitation 

 of songs of every kind— every bird in its turn was imitated in an 

 unmistakeable manner. At one time it was the Polyglot Warbler, 

 another the Sparrow, another the Chaffinch, another the Great Tit or 

 the Wagtail. Again it was the song of the Lark, all at once inter- 

 rupted by the vigorous cry of the Green Woodpecker. All the 

 singers in the neighbourhood had to bear the irony of this little 

 mocking-bird. Sometimes it had a special song of its own — feeble 

 and soft or strong and powerful — interrupted occasionally by some 

 'tirecc, trecc,' only repeated once or twice. Very rarely were heard 

 the piercing notes of the Eeed Warbler (Ejfarvatte.) 



"Other ornithologists have heard it imitate other species. It mocks 

 naturally the birds which live near its own residence in different 

 places and times. Temminck has heard it in Holland imitate the 

 Little Plover, or even the Oyster-catcher. Gerbe has recognized in 

 its song the notes of the Goldfinch and Thrush. Bailly has heard 

 it in Savoy imitate the Eeed Warbler, Chats, and other birds...... One 



of the birds came and sang close to me, and I could see the interior 

 of its half-open beak, which was of a bright yellow colour, and could 

 observe the swelling out of its white throat." 



The following gives M. Fatio's specific distinctions between Acro- 

 ceplialus palustris and arundinacea: — "The song is more varied, more 

 powerful, and less shrill, and it is also distinguished by the form and 

 position of its nest, and the colours (often very different) of its eggs. 

 The nest is of a round form, and placed in among plants close to 

 the ground, instead of being, like that of A. arundinacea, more 

 elongated and suspended to reeds two or three feet high. As the 

 eggs of A. arundinacea vary considerably in colour and form, and 

 some of their varieties are much in appearance like the ordinary 

 eggs of A. palustris, I cannot attach much importance on this point 

 as distinctive between the two species. In fact I have remarked that 

 in a great number of the eggs of arundinacea some are slightly 

 pyriform, of a clear greenish ground, covered with spots of a darker 

 green, and often disposed like a zone at the thicker end like those 

 of S. cinerea, while others, on the contrary, contain eggs elongated 



