AQUATIC WARBLER. 8S 



following remarks: — "Tliis egg comes from tlie environs 

 of Angers. I had it from M. de Barace, a distinguished 

 ornithologist. The nest is in the form of a cone, cleverly 

 constructed. It contains four or five eggs, of a dirty 

 greenish grey, with olive spots more or less dark, 

 generally forming a wreath at the thicker end. I have 

 seen some specimens of a deeper grey. Great diameter 

 seventeen to eighteen millemetres, small, twelve to 

 thirteen." 



The male and female in breeding-plumage have the 

 upper parts a pretty ash grey, passing to yellow red 

 on the rump and upper tail coverts, with black spots, 

 forming two longitudinal bands on the vertex, small 

 and less apparent on the neck, deep and large on the 

 back, narrow on the tail coverts; inferior parts of a 

 yellow russet, very clear, becoming white on the throat 

 and on the middle of the belly; a large superciliary 

 band, the same colour as the throat; another, brown, 

 above the ears, larger over the auditory orifice; wing 

 coverts brown, thickly bordered with ash grey; pri- 

 maries blackish, bordered with grey; tail quills brown, 

 bordered with greyish, the most external of each having 

 an ashy tint. Beak brown above, yellowish below and 

 on the edges of the mandibles; feet yellowish, with 

 the bottom of the toes yellow; iris bright brown; 

 first j^rinrary short, second and third equal and the 

 longest. 



In autumn the plumage is yellow russet above, with 

 black spots in the centre of the feathers, as in spring; 

 below of a clearer russet; all the quills of the wings 

 and tail bordered with yellowish red or grey. 



Young after the first moult resemble the old birds, 

 but have on the neck and flanks brown strige, more or 

 less numerous. — (Degland.) 



