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incessant note day and night assails one's ears. It breeds abundantly amongst the taller reeds." 

 Colonel Irby says that it certainly occurs in Morocco, though it is not included in Favier's list. 

 Dr. Anton Reichenow met with it as a winter resident in the Cameroons; it has been sent to the 

 Paris Museum from the Gaboon; and Andersson states (B. of Damara L. p. 99) that he "found 

 it plentiful in the reedy marshes at Omanbonde. It was always singing, but on the approach of 

 danger immediately retired to the thickest parts of its reedy resorts." 



There are examples, in the British Museum and Lord Tweeddale's collection, from Natal ; 

 but I do not find it recorded from the Cape colony. 



In Asia it does not range far east, probably not further than Turkestan. Mr. Blanford 

 writes (E. Pers. ii. p. 195) that "it is said to have been obtained by Menetries in the mountains 

 of Talish, and in reeds near Lankoran, on the Caspian, and is probably found in Ghilan and 

 Mazandaran. A specimen from Astrakhan, on the Volga, in Mr. Dresser's collection, belongs to 

 the European form of large Reed-Warbler ; and I think there is every probability that Menetries's 

 species was lightly identified, and that the present bird replaces Acrocephalus stentoreus in 

 Northern Persia and around the Caspian. Still it is possible that the Lankoran species may be 

 Acrocephalus stentoreus." There is no doubt that it occurs in Turkestan, as I have examined 

 specimens in the collection of Lord Tweeddale and Mr. Howard Saunders, obtained there by 

 Dr. Severtzoff; but eastward of that it is replaced by a very closely allied but fairly separable 

 form, Acrocephalus orientalis. Mr. Seebohm, who has lately been working at the Acrocephali, 

 has lent me his MS., in which I find detailed measurements of a number of specimens both 

 of Acrocephalus orientalis and of the present species; and it appears that the only constant 

 difference is that of size, the eastern form being constantly smaller than the European one. In 

 a large series of specimens the length of wing varies in Acrocephalus arundinaceus from 3 - 6 

 inches to 3*85 inches, females being, as might be expected, smaller than the males; whereas in 

 Acrocephalus orientalis the length of wing varies from 2 - S5 to 3'4 inches, the usual length being 

 3*2 inches. I may, however, remark that a single specimen in the British Museum, labelled as 

 having come from Amoy, has the wing 3*5 inches in length, and another in the same collection, 

 ;i female, stated to have been obtained in Belgium, has the wing the same size, these being the 

 only specimens of those examined that approach each other closely in size. 



In habits this bird does not differ much from its smaller allies. It frequents damp, marshy 

 localities, usually inhabiting the large dense reed-beds, where it finds ample chances of conceal- 

 ment. Though large and tolerably heavy, it creeps about amongst the reeds and climbs up the 

 straight stems with the greatest ease. It is exceedingly shy and averse to take wing, preferring 

 to seek refuge amongst the dense thickets of reeds ; and when it does fly, it seldom flies far, but 

 soon drops down again into the aquatic herbage. Its flight is jerky and feeble ; and the short 

 wings make a fluttering sound as it progresses along with rapid flaps. In the spring, however, 

 the males may often be seen chasing each other on the wing, and they are then extremely rest- 

 less and quarrelsome. Its call-note is a harsh tschak or tack, and a deep tscharr, not unlike that 

 of a Nightingale, but deeper and harsher. In the spring and to the middle of July the male 

 sings almost incessantly, from early in the morning to late in the evening, and not unfrequently 

 during the night. Its song is loud and not wanting in melody, though not of a high order ; and 

 some people liken it to the call of the tree-frogs, and not without reason, though it is much more 



