601 



quarrelsome bird, especially during the breeding-season, when the male is in continual warfare 

 with other males of its own species as well as with other small birds which frequent the same 

 locality. Its food consists of small insects which frequent the aquatic herbage where it resides ; 

 and it seeks for these both on the damp ground and on the leaves and stems of the plants, 

 though chiefly the latter ; and, according to Naumann, when, in the autumn, insects are scarce, 

 it will feed on elderberries. 



For the purposes of nidification it resorts to the dense patches of aquatic herbage, especially 

 where Carex, Euphorbia, &c. are plentiful, rather than where the reed (Arundo) predominates ; and 

 its nest is usually placed in localities which are difficult of access, and where one cannot approach 

 dry-shod, usually as far from the shore as possible. The nest is placed near the swampy ground 

 amongst the dense-growing stems of the water-plants, with which it is closely interwoven and 

 fastened. It is constructed of dry, usually light-coloured stems of grasses, fine rootlets, and often 

 a little green moss, and is lined with fine bents, horsehair, and feathers, sometimes with wool, 

 and is a very artistic and carefully finished structure. Its eggs, from four to six in number, are 

 usually deposited in May, only occasionally as late as early in June ; and but one brood is raised 

 in the season. The eggs of the Sedge-Warbler, of which I possess a tolerable series, are pale 

 yellowish brown or warm buff, so closely dotted with darker brown or greenish buff as to appear 

 almost uniform in colour ; sometimes they are streaked with short hair-like lines of black. In 

 size they average about f^ by f-^ inch. 



The specimen figured, on the same Plate with Lusciniola melanopogon, is the adult bird 

 above described. 



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



E Mus. H. E. Dresser, 

 a, b. Rye, Sussex, September 21st, 1860 {H. E. D.). c, d, <s . Oxfordshire (P. L. Sclater). e,f. Cookham, 

 September 2nd, 1868 {R. B. Sharpe) . g,6. Highgate, May 1st, 1869 {Davy) . h,6. Highgate, September 

 24th, 1869 {Davy). i,6. Purley, near Reading, May 4th, 1870 {R. B. S.). k, pull. Reading {R.B. S.). 

 I, m. Hampstead, June 1870 {R. B. S.) . n. Pagham, Sussex, July 1870. o, 6 . Mezen, N. Russia, June 

 13th, 1873 {Piottuch). p, q, r, s. Ural, July 1872 {L. Sabanaeff). t. Savoy {Bailly). u,d. Near Con- 

 stantinople, October 16th, 1 869 {Robson) . v,2. Asia Minor, October 14th, 1866 {Robson) . x,d. TurbaL 

 Asia Minor, April 27th, 1871 {Dr. Kruper). y, $ . Damietta, Egypt, May 7th, 1863 {S. Stafford Allen). 



E Mus. H. B. Tristram, 

 a, b. Castle Eden, Durham {H. B. T.). c,d,<s. Gennesareth, Palestine, April 1864 {H. B. T.). 



E Mus. Howard Saunders. 

 a,b,d. Valencia, Spain, March 20th {R.Martin). c,d,2. Malaga, Spain, July 25th, 1871. e, f, juv. 

 Malaga, October (Rios) . 



E Mus. G. E. Shelley, 

 a. England, August 17th, 1870. b, ? . Nubia, April 11th, 1870. c.d. Egypt, March 9th, 1871 (G. E. S.). 



3b2 



