BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 31 
scatter amongst those localities where there are swampy 
woods, or reed-fringed lochs and lochans. Along the sides 
of the more slow-flowing rivers they are also to be found, 
but owing to their partiaHty for dense, marshy places of 
retirement they are confined to the vicinity of the arable 
districts. Few suitable locahties are left untenanted, 
and occasionally nests are found in surprisingly " dry " 
situations, far from any water. It was observed in the spring 
of 1908 that Sedge- Warblers were singularly scarce. 
Mr. R. Service writes : " A fact in the life history of this 
species that I do not remember having seen any allusion 
to is that, whenever there is an extensive haunt, a party of 
about a score, or often more, of non-breeding birds will 
generally be found consorting together in a loosely at- 
tached flock throughout the whole season."* 
Though this species usually leaves us at the end of August, 
it occasionally stays so late as the first week in September. 
Its " winter home is principally central and southern 
Africa, but it probably also remains in some of the countries 
bordering on the Mediterranean, since it has been found 
at this season in Dalmatia."| 
THE GRASSHOPPER-WARBLER. 
Locustella ncevia (Boddaert). 
A summer-visitant of very local distribution. 
Of the Grasshopper-Warbler Sir William Jardine writes 
in 1839 : " We possess a single specimen shot near New 
Abbey in Galloway, for which we were indebted to the 
kindness of Dr. Bushnan, and the individual who pro- 
cured it was aware of its occasional occurrence."! This 
* Trans, Glasg. Nat. Hist. Soc, 1905, Vol. VII., p. 146. 
t Brit. Warblers, Part 1, p. 5. 
I Nat. Lib., 1839, Vol. XI., p. 144. 
