[Illustration]
Sylvia arundinacea, LATHAM; La Fauvette des Roseaux, BUFFON;
Der Teichsänger oder Sumpfsänger, BECHSTEIN.
This species has been confounded, not only with others with a greenish
plumage that are analogous, but in describing it with the reed thrush
(_Turdus arundinaceus_, Linn.), and in its manner of life with the
black-bonnet, or reed bunting (_Emberiza Schæniclus_, Linn.). It is five
inches in length, of which the tail measures two. The beak, seven lines
long, resembles that of the arbour bird, brown above and yellowish
beneath; the iris is chestnut brown; the shanks are eight lines high,
and ash grey; the forehead is very long, greenish grey; the rest of the
upper part of the body, including the wing-coverts, are of the same
colour, tinged with olive; the rump is paler; a straw-coloured line
extends above the eyes; the cheeks are olive brown; the under part of
the body is yellowish white; the knees are olive grey; the anterior
quill-feathers are dusky; the secondary are dark brown; all are edged
with olive grey; the tail-feathers have the same colour as the
quill-feathers, but with a wider olive grey border; the tail is very
much rounded, and nearly wedge-formed.
There is little difference in the female. Her head is pale brown: a
white line passes across the eyes; the upper part is reddish grey,
tinged with olive; the under part, except the throat, which is white, is
pale grey, tinged with yellow; the quill-feathers are darker brown than
the tail, with an olive grey border.
HABITATION.--When wild they are found throughout Europe, wherever
rushes and reeds abound. They arrive in Germany towards the middle of
April, and leave it the beginning of September. As they are very
delicate, in the house they must be kept in a nightingale's cage.
FOOD.--When wild it feeds on all kinds of aquatic insects, and, when
these fail, on berries. In the house, independently of nightingale's
food, it requires in a cage all the insects that can be caught, as
flies, water-spiders, and gnats.
BREEDING.--The nest, rather long and very ingeniously fastened to the
stems of the reeds or the branches of bushes by the water side, is
constructed of pieces of dried grass, of which the largest are on the
outside, and the finer within; these are sometimes mixed with wool
and hair. The eggs, five or six in number, are greenish white,
streaked and speckled with olive green. The young ones can only be
reared on ants' eggs.
MODE OF TAKING.--These birds are sometimes caught by placing lime
twigs on a place cleared of the turf, and throwing meal-worms there.
ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--The song of the reed warbler very much
resembles that of the arbour bird, but is not so full; what renders
it so agreeable is, that its varied melody is heard during evening
and morning twilight.