THE GRASSHOPPER WARBLERS. 
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tawny-coloured birds, but can be recognised at once by tbeir broad whitish 
eyebrow. The obsolete rictal bristles and the more graduated tail also 
serve to distinguish a Locustclla. 
Bange in Great Britain. — Found in summer nesting throughout 
the greater part of England and Wales, and being numerous 
in the northern counties of Northumberland and Durham, while 
it becomes rarer further north, though its range is known to ex- 
tend to Arisaig below the Sound of Sleat, according to Mr. 
Howard Saunders, and further to the Isle of Skye. In Ireland 
it is also found, and breeds in the eastern and southern districts. 
Range outside the British Islands. — Nests throughout Central 
Europe to the south of the Baltic and throughout Central and 
Southern Russia, on the northern slope of the Caucasus, 
according to Pleske, who says that it also extends to Tuikes- 
tan and the southern slope of the Altai Mountains. It is 
supposed to winter in Northern Africa, and also in Southern 
Europe ; but it has not been recorded from Greece or Asia 
Minor, is only known to occur on migration in Italy, only an 
autumn and winter bird in Southern Spain, as stated by Mr. 
Howard Saunders. 
Habits. — This bird is a greater skulker than any of the other 
Warblers, and it is more difficult to procure than any of them. Its 
nest is always well concealed, and the actions of the bird are more 
like those of a Mouse, as it threads its way through the grass, 
when disturbed from its home. It is, therefore, one of those 
species whose presence would never be detected were it not 
for its extraordinary song, which resembles the note of a Grass- 
hopper, except that it is more powerful and is continued for a 
longer period, sometimes for as long as two minutes together. 
Mr. Seebohm does not agree that the sound is ventriloquial, 
but we have always found it to be somewhat difficult to trace 
down on the few occasions that we have noticed the species in 
Berkshire, and it is certainly the case with the allied species, 
locustella fluvial ilis , in Hungary. The Grasshopper Warbler 
is sometimes found in considerable numbers together on its 
arrival in spring, and Mr. Oates records the same fact with 
some of the Eastern species, which winter in Burma. Even 
in the nesting season many pairs frequent the same district. 
The species is sometimes to be observed in the early morn- 
