154 
Mr. H. Seebohm on the 
the choice ceitainly to A. streperus or A. palustris. My 
own experience, as detailed nnder S. arundinacea , would lead 
one to call this bird Acrocephalus streperus (Vieill.). 
Salicaria macronyoc (p. 84). The length of the first primary 
decides at once that this bird is an Acrocephalus. The wing- 
formula is intermediate between those of A. streperus and A. 
dumetorum . The length of the culmen of A. streperus is *7 to 
*63; and by our rule the culmen of this bird is *62; so that we 
may decide that it is a small bird of whichever species it 
belongs to, and that in this respect the balance of evidence 
is slightly in favour of A. streperus. The length of wing of 
A. streperus varies from 2*7 to 2*45. The length of wing of 
our bird is 2 inches 6 lines, or 2*5, and may be that of nearly 
the smallest A. streperus or the extreme largest A. dume¬ 
torum. As we have already decided, from the size of the 
culmen, that to whichever species it belongs it is a small 
bird of that species, the argument is conclusive in favour of 
its being Acrocephalus streperus (Vieill.). 
Salicaria eurhyncha (p. 85). The first primary being shorter 
than the coverts, there is no doubt about this bird being an 
Acrocephalus. The second primary being between the sixth and 
seventh restricts the choice to A. ayricola and A. dumetorum. 
The tail being one tenth shorter than the wing, and the 
culmen measuring *69, are both conclusively in favour of its 
being Acrocephalus dumetorum (Blyth), whilst the length of 
wing, 2’ 33 to 2*42, is more in favour of that bird than of A. 
agricola. 
Salicaria sphenura (p. 86). The length of the first primary 
decides at once that this is an Acrocephalus. The wing-formula 
—second primary equals the sixth, or is intermediate between 
the fifth and sixth—agrees with A. dumetorum , and dis¬ 
agrees with A. agricola , A. streperus, and A. palustris. The 
comparative shortness of the tail puts another black mark 
against A. agricola. The culmen, *62, puts a third black 
mark against A. agricola; and the length of wing puts a 
fourth ; so that I arrive at the conclusion that this bird is 
Acrocephalus dumetorum (Blyth). 
Salicaria gracilis (p. 86). The length of the first primary de- 
