midst of the great beatliy lands of Surrey and Hampshire, or similar districts. Mr. Rodd mentions it as con- 
spicuous among the birds of Cornwall ; Mr. St. John states that he observed it in the northern part of 
Suthcrlandshire ; and in Ireland it is no less abundant than in England. On the continent of Europe it is 
found as far east as the Crimea, and as fiir north as Sweden and Norway. In Italy, Savoy, France, Holland, 
Germany, and the adjacent countries, it is generally, if not universally, distributed. In all these parts it 
impulsively passes to and fro, the sun and the seasons being its guide and the prompters of its movements. 
I extract the following Interesting note respecting this bird from Mr. St. John’s ‘ Tour in Sutherlandshire’ 
“The Sedge "Warbler, singing like the Nightingale during all the hours of darkness, is common. I heard 
its sweet note constantly during the night-time; generally, it sings about reedy lochs and swamps. The 
most northern spot at which I heard this bird was at Tongue, where its song was easily distinguished, and 
had a most pleasing effect amongst the harsher notes of the Land-Rail, Redshank, Sea-Gulls, &c. I went 
out of the inn at midnight, and was much amused at hearing the different cries of the birds. Close to the 
door is a small enclosed clump of larch, w here the grass and weeds are very high and rank. In this little 
patch it seems that a Sedge Warbler had made her nest. All day long had the male bird been singing to 
his mate, and now at midnight he was still uttering unceasingly his merry note. I never met with so inde- 
fatigable a songster ; night or day he seemed never to weary.” 
There is no external difference in the sexes. When the young leave the nest, they are more strongly 
blotched with black on the upper surface, and their under surface is of a deeper buff, speckled with brown ; 
but they soon attain the plumage of the adult. 
Tlie adult has the crown of the head striated with dark and pale-yellowish brown, the former prevailing, 
and giving a dark appearance to the head ; above each eye a streak of yello^vish wdiite ; lores and ear-coverts 
brown ; upper surface clouded pale and dark browm, the former being the tint of the margins, and the latter 
the hue of the centres of the feathers ; wdngs browm, the coverts and tertials edged with pale brown ; lower 
part of the back and upper tail-coverts inclining to rufous ; tail brown, with paler margins ; chin and throat 
buffy white ; under surface pale buff, darkest on the flanks ; irides light brown ; upper mandible brown ; 
under mandible, legs, and feet flesh-colour. 
The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size, on the Carex riparia, in the flow ering season. 
