ACROCEPHALTJS.
1st primary small and narrow, seldom longer than coverts ; tail 12 feathers, slightly graduated; generally frequent damp places or reed-beds; nest a deep cup on ground or attached to reeds, or in a bush near water ; eggs grey or greenish grey with dark markings or blotches.
Acrocephalus arundinaceus arundinaceus (L.). GREAT REED WARBLER. Fr. Rousserolle ; Ger. Drosselrohr sanger ; Ital. Cannareccione.
Above light brown, tinged reddish, especially on rump and upper tail coverts ; supercilium and feathers round eye dull white ; beneath, throat and breast (faintly striated) and centre of belly white, rest of underparts with axillaries and under wing coverts fawn colour ; 1st primary very much shorter than coverts ; znd between 3rd and 4th ; 3rd longest. Bill black, pale below at base. Legs and feet bluish grey. \Ving a 9o-103, 88-94. Tarsus 27-31 (W.). Bill 14-15.
Breeds.—Continental Europe to Baltic (rare in Sweden and Denmark), Baltic Provinces, Russia north to nearly Go°, east to Urals, south to Caspian Sea and Caucasus ; Sicily, N.W. Africa, Asia Minor. Migrates ; occurs Egypt on passage ; winters tropical and S. Africa. Of occasional occurrence England ; accidental Madeira.
A. arundinaceus zarudnyi Hartert. Above less reddish, more olive coloured, most noticeable on rump ; under tail coverts and flanks paler fawn.
Breeds.—Volga Delta and east into Transcaspia and Turkestan.
A. arundinaceus orientalis (Temminck and Schlegel). Plumage as in typical form, but wing formula different ; 4th primary being equal to or longer than 2nd. Wing also shorter, 8o-92, (\V.).
Breeds.—S.E. Siberia and N. China. Occurred once in England.
Acrocephalus stentoreus stentoreus (Hemprich and Ehrenberg).
In plumage resembles "arundinaceus " but more rusty coloured below. Wing formula different ; 2nd primary between 5th and 7th, 3rd and 4th equal and longest ; emarginate 3rd and 4th. Wing shorter, a 8o-S5, 9 75-77. Bill thin and long. Culinen 25-27, 9 23-25 (H.). Bill dark brown above, below pale at base with black tip. Legs and feet greenish plumbeous.
Resident.—gypt (Suez through Nile Delta to Natron Valley), also Palestine.
Acrocephalus scirpaceus scirpaceus (Hermann). REED WARBLER. (" A. streperus "). Fr. Rousserolle effarvatte ; Ger. Teich-Rohrsanger ; Ital. Cannaiola ; Seed. Rorsangare.
8 9 Above greyish brown, tinged red, especially on rump and upper tail coverts ; beneath white tinged red buff especially on flanks and under tail coverts ; 1st primary about equal in length to coverts, 2nd between 3rd and 5th, 3rd longest, outer web 3rd emarginate ; on inner web of 2nd primary is a notch which usually falls between tip of Sth primary and tips of secondaries. Bill dark horn, yellowish below at base. Legs and feet greenish brown. Wing 62-70, 9 6o-68. Tarsus 21-24. Bill ro-11.
Breeds.—S. and C. England ; Continental Europe north to Baltic, Denmark, S. and C. Sweden to N., Balearic Islands, Sicily, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Asia Minor. Migrates ; occurs Egypt on passage ; rare visitor Sardinia, Corsica, Malta, Scotland and Ireland. Winters in tropical Africa (Uganda, Tanganyika territory, Gambia), and some in Mediterranean basin.
A. scirpaceus crassirostris (Brehm). Less rusty, more olive above, flanks and under tail coverts paler.
Preeds.—Orenburg to Ural and Volga Deltas and in S.W. Asia. Common on passage in Egypt. Winters in E. Africa (Kenya Colony and Tanganyika territory).
Acrocephalus palustris (Bechstein). MARSH WARBLER. Fr. Rousserolle verclerolle ; Ger. Sumpfrohrsanger ; Md. Cannaiola verdognola.
Strongly resembles "scirpaceus" but above is greyish brown with an olive tinge ; notch on 2nd primary falls between 5th and 8th primaries ; structure otherwise as in " scirpaceus."
Bill dark horn above, flesh coloured below. and feet yellowish brown. a 66-72, 4 64-72 (W.). Tarsus Bill to-ii.
Breeds.—S. (local), Continental Europe north to Denmark (exceptionally S. Sweden), south to N. Spain, N. Italy, Macedonia, S. and C. Russia, from Esthonia, Pskov, and also Caucasus, shores of Caspian and Black Seas, and Persia. ; occurs on winters in Africa.
Acrocephalus dumetorum Blyth. BLYTH'S REED WARBLER.
In winter closely resembles "palustris" ; in summer somewhat darker above than that species ; 2nd primary shorter than about to 6th ; 1st primary about to coverts ; and ; notch on inner web of znd primary falls short of secondaries, also notched, notch between 8th primary and secondaries. Bill brown above, flesh coloured below. and feet reddish brown. shorter than in "palustris," e 60-65, 9 59-64. Tarsus 20-23. Bill ro-11.
Breeds.—N. Russia and S.E. Finland, and to south-east in Russia towards and Lower Ural ; also in \V. Siberia to Altai. Winters in India. Rare visitor to Britain.
Acrocephalus agricola agricola Jerdon.
Resembles "dumetorum" but has a reddish above as in "scirpaceus." 1st primary than coverts, znd between Gth and seldom between and 8th, and about and ; and on outer web ; 2nd and notched on inner web. Bill dark brown above, below yellowish flesh. and feet pinkish brown. d 9 Tarsus 20-22. Culmen (H.).
Breeds.—Danube Delta, Crimea, S. and C. Urals, and in Asia (Transcaspia to Altai). Winters in India and N.E. Africa. Occurred once Acrocephalus schcenobmnus (L.) SEDGE WARBLER. Fr. Becfln des joncs ; Ger. ; /fa/. ; Swed. e 9 Above olive brown, with dark striations, except on rump and upper tail coverts (which in some are rufous super cilium yellowish white ; beneath white more or less tinged huff ; 1st primary shorter than primary coverts, 3rd only marginate, notch on inner web of 2nd falls between tips of 7th and 9th primaries. Bill dark brown, reddish yellow below at base. Legs and feet bluish grey. Wing 4 62-71, ? 60-70. Tarsus 20-22. Bill 10-11. Young are yellower, and streaked on chest.
Preeds.—British Isles, Continental Europe north to Finmark, Finland, in Russia north to 68°, south to N. Spain and Italy, and Balkan Peninsula ; in Asia cast to Yenisei, south to Altai \loun tains and Turkestan. Migratory ; occurs on passage Greece, Mediterranean Islands, N. Africa to Tripoli and Egypt. Rare in Spain. Winters in Africa.
Acrocephalus aquaticus (Gmelin). AQUATIC WARBLER. Fr. Becfin aquatique ; Ger. I3insen-RohrsAnger ; 1krl. Pagliarolo.
d ? Resemble "schcenobaenus " but above greyer and more boldly striated, including rump and upper tail coverts ; crown dark brown with one central pale stripe ; beneath white, breast and flanks huffish with dark shaft streaks ; tail feathers very pointed ; 1st primary in adult very small, shorter than coverts, in young, longer than coverts ; 3rd primary emarginate. Bill brown, yellowish at base below. Legs and feet pale straw. Wing 61-67, ? 61-64. Tarsus 19-21. Bill 8-9. Young are more tawny, and not streaked below.
Preeds.—Continental Europe, south of Baltic, but rare in S. Spain and absent from south of Bosnia and Bulgaria ; in Russia north to about ; also Algeria, Tunisia, and Sardinia. Migrates ; occurs in Corsica, Sicily, S.E. Europe and Egypt on passage. Rare visitor to Sweden, Britain, Heligoland.