REED-WARBLER. 
and, moreover, is practically the only true Sylvine bird common to both 
continents, the succeeding species being its nearest competitor, but it has 
only a restricted range in the south of Europe. 
Mr. Thos. P. Austin has sent me the following account from Cobbora, 
New South Wales : “ The present species is not strictly migratory, with plenty 
of rain during both the early and late autumn, following on top of a wet 
summer, a few birds remain during the winter, but invariably much more 
numerous during the warmer months of the year, when their beautiful happy 
song and mournful whistling notes may be heard the whole day long issuing 
from clumps of reeds growing on the margins of rivers, lagoons, large dams, etc. 
When disturbed they fly out over the water, and with rapid flight flash along 
near the surface, then suddenly dart into another clump of reeds. Their 
nests are wonderfully constructed, and vary remarkably according to the 
material at hand. As a rule they are open, deep cup-shaped structures, the 
rim being slightly narrower than the middle of the bowl, giving it the appear- 
ance of having contracted at the top. They are formed of long strips of 
leaf -like thin reeds, which are firmly bound round three or four upright reeds, 
usually growing in water, the inside being neatly lined with fine dry grass- 
stems and flowerdown from the reeds. Others are composed almost entirely 
of wool from dead sheep, with the addition of a little dry grass and reeds. But 
the most extraordinary nest I have seen was placed low down in the drooping 
branch of a willow tree, growing in a dam in front of my house, the greater 
portion of this nest being composed of white and grey feathers from Ducks 
and Geese, with the addition of just sufficient dry grass to hold it all together 
in position. Three eggs generally form a clutch, but sometimes four. I have 
examined nests containing eggs from the first week in October till the last 
week in January.” 
Captain S. A. White writes : “ This is the most beautiful songster in 
Australia and, being always associated with water, makes it more pleasing. 
They sing far into the moonlit nights, even dark or only starlit nights are 
broken by a few bars of music at intervals. They come south in the spring 
and scatter along the watercourses where there is cover in the shape of reeds, 
flags, etc., and soon build their nests, which are suspended between two or 
three reeds, and are composed of the leaning reeds or flags split into strips ; 
the nest is not lined, and the eggs three or four in number. As soon as the young 
are hatched the birds cease to sing and they leave us before the winter.” 
Mr. Edwin Ashby observes : “ During the springtime and to a certain 
extent throughout the year the Reed-Warblers fill the air with song along 
the banks of the Murray River. I hardly think that for fullness and richness 
of note these birds are surpassed by any other bird in any part of the world. 
357 
