SYLVIIN#. 81 
THE MARSH-WARBLER. 
ACROCEPHALUS PALUSTRIS (Bechstein). 
It is difficult to show in a wood-cut the points of difference 
between this species and the Reed-Warbler ; nor, for that matter, 
can much be said in favour of many of the coloured illustrations 
which are supposed to represent the Marsh-Warbler. Gould’s 
coloured plate in the ‘Birds of Great Britain’ undoubtedly repre- 
sents a Reed-Warbler ; so does, in my opinion, one in the late 
Lord Lilford’s ‘Birds of the British Islands’; while in Mr. 
Dresser’s plate of the two species in his ‘Birds of Europe’ the 
respective tints are inadequately rendered, and the legs of the 
Marsh-Warbler are wrongly coloured stone-grey, although accurately 
described in the letterpress. The legs of the Marsh-Warbler are 
pale brownish flesh-colour ; the general hue of the upper parts is at 
all times less rufous than in the Reed-Warbler, and distinctly greenish 
olive-brown ; while, except when much abraded, the wing-feathers 
are more tipped and margined with pale buff. The under parts are 
tinged with sulphur-buff: not rufous-buff, as in the Reed-Warbler. 
The Marsh-Warbler was first noticed in England as a spring- 
visitor in small numbers to Somersetshire, particularly to the neigh- 
bourhood of Taunton; several nests have since been found near 
Bath, as well as in Gloucestershire, while in Oxfordshire the 
H 
