BEITISH WARBLERS 



LIFE-HISTORY. 



The home of these birds is principally among the common 

 reed (Anmdo phragmites), which grows in such profusion on 

 large pools and lakes, along the banks and in the backwaters 

 of many rivers, in canals, and in all marshy ground where 

 there is a sufficient depth of water. And owing to the fact 

 that reeds grow in such dense masses, the habits of 

 this species are at all times very difficult to study. Even 

 at the commencement of the season, before the young reeds 

 have attained to any height, it is by no means easy to keep 

 one individual continually in view, and if this is not done 

 some small incident, unimportant perhaps in itself, may escape 

 observation, without which, however, an accurate interpreta- 

 tion of. its actions may be impossible. When the nest is 

 built and the parents are incubating or tending their young, 

 their habits are the more easily studied, for they are not 

 shy nor retiring like so many species, but rapidly overcome 

 any diffidence they may at first show when a human being 

 is near the nest. It is even possible to cut away the reeds 

 immediately surrounding the nest so that an uninterrupted 

 view of their actions may be obtained, without in any way 

 exciting their suspicions or hindering in the least a proper 

 carrying out of their parental duties. 



In the Midland counties their arrival may be expected 

 during the first week in May; this remark refers to the 

 forerunners of the band of migrants, which appear to be 

 always males. The migratory movement as a whole is 

 peculiarly erratic and somewhat difficult to understand; not 

 that the time of advent of the first males varies very much, 

 but that males and females intermingled continue to arrive, and 

 to pair so long as there is sufficient territory, for some weeks 

 after the arrival of the first male. It is sometimes suggested 

 that the advent of the first individuals depends upon the 

 state of growth of the reeds. Perhaps this may be true 

 when a comparison is made between the dates of arrival 

 in countries some distance apart, but the difference in the 



