118 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



would believe what a confused din can be produced 

 by a dozen or so of Reed-Thrushes, in concert with 

 a sprinkling of the ampliibious vocalists above men- 

 tioned. The nest of this bird is built of reed-tops 

 and coarse marsh-grasses, and suspended, or rather 

 bound, to three or four reed-stems ; it is deep in 

 proportion to its size, and is, in fact, a large edition 

 of the nest of the Reed-Warbler. The eggs are from 

 four to six in number, of a pale green, blotched with 

 grey and dark greenish brown. 



44. REED-WARBLER. 



Acroceplialvs streperus. 



This bird is very abundant with us in summer, 

 arriving generally at the end of April or early in 

 May, and soon announcing its presence by its hurried 

 but pleasant song, which in fine weather is heard to 

 the greatest advantage through the night. In our 

 district the Cuckoo appears to prefer the nests of this 

 species as nurseries for her young to those of any 

 other bird, and I have several times found a Reed- 

 Warbler's nest weighed down and hanging in an 

 apparently very precarious position over the water 

 from the weight of a well-feathered young Cuckoo. 

 I believe that the Cuckoo in most cases carries her 

 egg in her bill to deposit it in the chosen nest, and I 

 have every reason to think that I once saw a Cuckoo 

 in the act of doing so in a nest of this bird, but do 

 not like to state it as a positive fact, as I had not 

 found the nest in question before I observed a Cuckoo 

 ho^er at it for a few seconds, and on going to see 

 what she had been at, found a Reed-Warbler's nest 



