The Sedge-Warbler. "7 



Family— TURDIDyE. Subfamily— SYL VIIN^. 



The Sedge-Warbler. 



Acrocephalus phragmitis, BechsT. 



OCCURS in Norway up to lat. 70°, in Sweden and North Russia to lat. 68°, 

 and in the valleys of the Obb and Yenessay to lat. 67". Southward it 

 breeds in North-west Turkestan, Palestine, Greece, and Central Italy, but in the 

 South of Europe generally it is only known as a migrant, though it is believed 

 that it sometimes breeds in Spain and the South of France: throughout the rest 

 of Europe it is pretty generally distributed, and abundant in suitable localities. 

 It visits Algeria and Egypt in the winter, passing thence to Damara-Land and 

 the Transvaal : it also seems probable, from the fact that Dixon shot the species 

 in May in Algeria, that a few examples remain to breed there. 



In Great Britain the Sedge- Warbler is more or less abundant everywhere, 

 excepting perhaps on the Shetlands ; it is however somewhat local in the extreme 

 north. 



Far more strikingly coloured than the Reed- Warbler, this well-known species 

 has a general resemblance to hens of the Orange Weaver-bird fPyrovielana francis- 

 cana) : the general colouring of the upper parts is golden-brown, with black centres 

 to the feathers ; but on the head the feathers would be more accurately described 

 as black, with lateral brown borders ; on the rump and upper tail-coverts they are 

 cinnamon reddish, without black centres ; the secondaries are blackish with broad 

 clear golden-brown borders ; the primaries smoky-grey, narrowly and more or less 

 distinctly edged at the tips with whitish ; tail feathers blackish, with whitish 

 margins ; a distinct broad pale buff superciliary streak ; lores and ear-coverts smoky 

 brown ; chin and throat white ; centre of abdomen whitish ; remainder of body below 

 buff; upper mandible blackish-brown, lower mandible yellowish horn-brown, darker 

 towards the tip ; feet pale brown ; iris bright hazel. The female is slightly duller 

 than the male, and the reddish colouring of the rump and upper tail-coverts is 

 less pronounced. Young birds have the breast transversely spotted with smoky 

 brown. 



The Sedge- Warbler appears at its breeding haunts towards the end of April, 

 or the beginning of May, and leaves us again in September or October. Although 



Vol. I. X 



