112 
SYLVIADiE. 
TNCESSORES. 
I) ENT I ROST RES. 
SYLVIAD/E. 
GRASSHOPPER WARBLER. 
Salicaria locustella. 
PLATE XXXI. FIG. I. 
The very shy and skulking nature of this species has 
always made it difficult to become familiarly acquainted 
with its habits, and still more so to obtain its nest and 
eggs ; the first that I ever saw was in the collection of 
Mr. Wingate, of Newcastle, who is well known in the 
north of England for his life-like manner of mounting- 
birds. I quote his account of its discovery from the 
pages of Bewick’s Birds. He says, that “having long- 
wished to get the egg of this bird to add to his curious 
collection, he at length, in June 1815, after much watching, 
succeeded in eyeing it to the distant passage on the top 
of a whin-bush, by which it entered and left its nest. Its 
curious habitation he found was built at the bottom of a 
deep narrow furrow, or ditch, overhung by the prickly 
branches of the whin, and grown over with thick coarse 
grass, matted together, year after year, to the height of 
about two feet. Before he could find the object of his 
pursuit he searched until he was wearied, and at length 
found that there was no other plan left but that of taking 
away the grass by piecemeal, which he was obliged to do 
before he could obtain the prize.” 
The nest of the Grasshopper Warbler is composed of a 
large quantity of grass, so loosely put together that those 
which I have seen could have occupied no other situation 
