REED-WARBLER. 
— possibly our very best — and from their rich notes and the habit of singing 
at night might well be called the Nightingale’s understudy. A degree or two 
of frost does not deter them, and their song seemingly sounds better in the 
crisp, dry air. I have found nests with eggs and others with young in 
November and December.” 
Dove has recorded : “ The Reed- Warblers were much in evidence (in 
Tasmania) that same day, flying excitedly from the dense growth of the river- 
side into the wattle trees, then chasing each other from the trees back into 
the reeds. I noticed they have a harsh, somewhat guttural call-note, not un- 
like one occasionally employed by the Crescent Honey-eater when a cat or 
other enemy is in the vicinity. The beautiful Canary-like song of this water- 
side dweller was heard unusually early this spring ; on the 22nd September 
one . . . was heard ; usually we do not notice them until well on in October 
and they do not nest here until November. . . They have no objection to 
the proximity of our species provided there is cover.” 
From Essenton, Victoria, Dove later notes : “ The Reed-Warbler, which 
makes its home in the thick vegetation surrounding the ponds, is a very plain 
brown and grey individual, but its sweet notes more than atone for any lack 
of gay colours in its plumage ; in fact, we may well call it the Nightingale 
of the South. Besides chanting at frequent intervals during the day, it may 
be heard also on warm evenings long after dark. . . . Found a Reed- 
Warbler’s home perched up in a fork eight feet from the ground in the imported 
bush Sparmannia africana ; the nest contained three fresh eggs. Never 
before or since have I seen the Warbler’s home in such an elevated position, 
all others in the locality being placed only a foot or two above the water among 
the reed-stems.” 
Mr. E. J. Christian has written me : “ This beautiful little songster is 
migratory, and I have generally noticed that he returns to Melbourne any 
time from the middle of September to the middle of October. In 1905 it 
returned to Melbourne Botanical Gardens (where they nest yearly on the lakes) 
on October 17th. In 1906 they arrived at the same place on September 10th, 
so were nearly a month earlier. Their sweet song always announces their 
arrival, and they are one of the few Australian birds which sing night and day. 
They love the reeds and always nest in them. In Tasmania on the River 
Tamar I have seen plenty of them ; they are fairly tame and I have gone 
close up to them when nesting and singing. Eats many insects which breed 
in the water.” 
Mr. Frank Littler’s experience seems to differ : “Is a migratory species, 
only remaining in Tasmania and the mainland part of the year, where it nests 
and brings up its young. Its cheerful note is more often heard than the bird 
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