SAVl'S WABBLEB 



and Marsh Warbler, and the two Whitethroats are severally 

 very closely allied, but by no means adopt a similar method of 

 expressing their emotion. Therefore the identity of expression 

 of the Grasshopper and Savi's Warbler is the more interest- 

 ing. Both sexes are very excitable at this period, the male 

 sings persistently, and while doing so seems to be watching 

 the movements of the female. She runs about, mouse-like, 

 amongst the thick masses of dead reed, and the male espying 

 her climbs or nutters down the reed upon the top of which he 

 was singing and pursues her, running in and out amongst the 

 reeds, at one moment spreading his wings and napping them 

 up and down and then expanding his tail like a fan, and 

 at another following her in a stately way carrying his head 

 erect, or yet again creeping after her with his head lowered, 

 threading his way in and out of the stems. The tail when 

 expanded may be either raised or lowered, and a dead leaf 

 of the reed is often searched for, picked up, and carried in 

 the wake of the female. In this way the male pursues her 

 around his territory, eventually returning to the reed which 

 forms his headquarters, up which he climbs, and then again 

 commences his peculiar song. When on the ground both 

 sexes are able to run with considerable speed, but sometimes 

 they move by hopping. Like the Grasshopper Warbler they 

 have the peculiar habit of walking along a horizontal reed, 

 and the male does so even when with wings and tail outspread 

 he is pursuing his mate. The behaviour of the female during 

 this period is unusually interesting, for she not only sings but 

 also pursues the male, and even opens and closes her wings 

 when close beside him. 



The nest, which is rather deep and solidly constructed, is 

 placed at the base of the reed stems and is composed of the 

 interwoven leaves of the common reed. 



The song is similar in type to that of the Grasshopper 

 Warbler, but far more musical, and in a way resembles the 

 tinkling of numerous tiny bells. The bird produces the notes 

 with its bill widely opened. At the commencement there is a 



