Vr'^ 



AQUATIC WAEBLER. 



ACROCEPHALUS AQUATICUS [GmeL] 



Motacilla aquatica, Gmelin, S, N. i. p. 953 (1788). 

 Sylvia cariceti^ Naum. iii. p. 668. 

 Sylvia aquatica^ Naum. iii. p. 686. 



Acroceplialus aquaticus^ Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 380 ; Dresser, ii. 

 p. 591. 



Bee-fin aquatique, Francli ; Seggen-Rohrsdnger, German ; 

 Arandillo, Spanish. 



This bird, which is a common summer visitor to 

 many of the marshy districts of the continent of Europe, 

 has only been hitherto recorded to have been obtained 

 thrice in England. 



The only British specimen that I have seen is that 

 recorded by Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun. ('Zoologist,' 1871), 

 as having been shot near Dover by Mr. Charles Gordon, 

 the Curator of the museum of that town ; as I notice 

 that the Editor of the 4th edition of Yarrell's ' British 

 Birds' mentions (vol. i. p. 381) that the date of this 

 occurrence was lost, I may say that Mr. Gordon showed 

 me the bird in the summer of 1853, and my strong 

 impression is that it had been very recently added to 

 the collection. 



In general habits this bird appears to resemble the 

 well-knoAvn Sedge-Warbler; but, from my very limited 

 acquaintance with it, I am inclined to consider it as 

 more especially a reed haunter than that species. 



