583 



musical than that. Like the notes of all the Warblers, it is scarcely possible to reproduce its 

 song by words with any degree of truth ; but Naumann attempts it with some success by the 

 following syllables, viz. : — Kerr, kerr, Jcerr ; (lore, dore, dore ; Jcarre, Jcarre, Jcarre ; kai, kei, kei, ki ; 

 karra, karrakied. When singing it usually perches on the top of a high reed, frequently in an 

 open and exposed position. 



The food of this Reed- Warbler consists of insects of various kinds which frequent the 

 localities which it inhabits ; and, according to some observers, it is said also to feed, to some 

 extent, on berries in the autumn when insects are scarce. 



The nest is constructed like that of the common Eeed- Warbler, of bents and leaves of grass, 

 fine roots, hemp, &c, and is attached most carefully to several steins of rushes or reeds, which 

 are woven into the nest itself. It is deep cup-shaped, carefully constructed of the above-men- 

 tioned materials, a little moss being often intermixed, and is carefully lined with finer bents, and 

 occasionally a little horsehair or reed-cotton. It is usually placed amongst a dense growth of 

 reeds or rushes, and, as a rule, at least three feet above the surface of the water. The eggs, 

 which are usually deposited late in May or early in June, generally four or five in number, are 

 richly marked on a pale blue-greenish ground with purplish grey underlying shell-blotches and 

 dark brown or blackish overlying surface-spots and patches, these latter being larger and more 

 profuse at the larger end. One egg in my collection is pale greenish blue, with only a few 

 scattered spots of pale purplish grey ; and several have the ground-colour darker and with a faint 

 brownish tinge. In size they vary from f § by f^ to 1 inch by f £ inch. 



The specimens figured are the adult male and the young bird above described. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. K E. Dresser. 



a, <$ . Italy, May 10th. b, 2 . Italy, May 18th, 1870 (Salvadori). c, 6 . Corsica, April 16th. d, d . Corsica, 

 April 22nd, 1875 (C. B. TVharton). e. Moravia (Schliiter). f, 6 • Silesia (Mdschler). g,pull. S.E.Ural, 

 July 27th, 1872 (Meves). h, 6. Astrachan (Mdschler). i. Egypt (Rogers). 



E Mus. Lord Tweeddale. 

 , b. Holland, 1864. c,S. Malaga, 1874 (H. Saunders), d, 6 . Savoy, e. North Italy, 1874. /, 2 . 

 Chimkent, Turkestan, April, 6th, 1866 (Severtzoff). 



a 



a 



E Mus. Brit. Reg. 

 , 2 • Belgium, June 18th, 1850. b. Bogos Land. c. Natal. 



E Mus. E. Seebohm. 

 a, j. Valkensvaard, Holland, May 29th, 1876 (H. S.). b, <3 . Malaga, April 2nd, 1868 [H. Saunders). 



E Mus. Howard Samiders. 

 a,b,<3. Malaga, August 18th and October 6th (Rios). c, 2. North Italy. d,6. Savoy (Schliiter). e, 2 ■ 

 Astrachan, May. /, <3 . Turkestan (Severtzoff) . 



