418 



REED WARBLER. 



Its nest and eggs are also different. The nest is composed of long 

 grass and the seed branches of reeds, and lined with the finer parts of 

 the latter ; it is very deep, and conceals the bird when sitting. This is 

 generally fastened by long grass to several reeds which are drawn 

 together for that purpose, and generally placed over the water. The 

 eggs are four or five in number, rather larger than those of the sedge 

 bird, of a greenish white, blotched all over with dusky brown. 



This species is much more local than the sedge bird, but they are some- 

 times found together. Their notes are similar, and we have found both 

 species all along the coasts of Kent and Sussex, from Sandwich to 

 Arundel, amongst the reedy pools and ditches, especially on Romney 

 Marsh ; but in Wiltshire and Somersetshire, where the sedge warbler 

 is found in abundance throughout the banks of the Avon, not a single 

 Reed Warbler is to be found. 



The nest of this bird being deep, gives security to the eggs, which 

 would otherwise be thrown out by the wind. We have seen the bird 

 sitting on her nest when the wind blew hard, and at every gust forced 

 it almost to the surface of the water. 



*I have now a nest of this species before me, which was built in a 

 field among the branches of lucerne {Medicago sativa.} It is very 

 deep, nearly three inches by the same in diameter, and almost wholly 

 composed of hay ; the brim being of thicker stems of dry grass. A 

 very few hairs are wound around the interior, which is very smoothly 

 finished ; and in some parts of the structure a few small tufts of willow 

 down, and (what seems a singular material) elm blossoms, are inter- 

 woven. It is so different, indeed, from the nests described by 

 Lightfoot, and figured by Bolton, 1 that I should have entertained 

 doubts respecting it, had I not known the bird, of which I had a few 

 days before seen a living specimen in Mr. Sweet's aviary at Chelsea. 

 Mr. Lightfoot's nest was bound round with packthread, and Mr. Bol- 

 ton's with stout, double-twined woollen yarn, such as the poor people 

 use for making stockings ; but though he had seen several of these 

 nests, this was the only one where a twined bandage was used. Mr. 

 Sweet found one of these nests in the low side branches of a poplar-tree 

 at Fulham. 



■** It is a pretty little lively species," says Sweet, " generally fre- 

 quenting the sides of rivers and ditches, where its warbling song may be 

 heard amongst reeds, sedges, or other thickets that are near the water." 

 Towards autumn it sometimes frequents gardens for the sake of in- 



1 Harmonia Ruralis, ii. p. 72. 



