The ASHY GARDEN WARBLER (_Hypolais cinerescens_) is entirely greyish
green on the upper portion, and whitish green on the under side of the
body. The eye is dark brown; the upper mandible horn colour, and the
lower one yellowish grey; the legs horn grey. The length of the bird is
five inches and seven lines, and the breadth about seven inches and ten
lines; the wing measures two inches and seven lines, and the tail two
inches and three lines; the female is about one line shorter, and from
two to four lines narrower than her mate. This species inhabits Southern
Europe, and is especially numerous in the highly cultivated districts of
Spain; there, as elsewhere, it frequents vineyards, olive plantations,
and fruit gardens, and ventures freely into the immediate vicinity of
the towns and villages; it appears entirely to avoid mountain ranges and
rocky localities. Unlike the Willow Wren, the Ashy Garden Warbler is
socially disposed towards those of its own race, and it is not uncommon
to see the pairs not only living close to each other in the utmost
harmony, but building upon the same tree. Such as we have observed seemed
entirely without fear of men, for we have frequently known them to make
their nests close to crowded thoroughfares, in small gardens, and, in one
instance, in close vicinity to a public summer-house in Valencia, that
was usually illuminated with lanterns until after midnight. The movements
of these birds are similar to those of the species last described, but
their song, although monotonous and without any particular beauty,
somewhat resembles that of the Sedge Warblers. The breeding season
commences about the first week in June, and continues until the end of
July. The nest, which is built on a high tree and fastened firmly between
two upright and parallel twigs, has a thick outer wall of grass, wool,
stalks, and similar materials woven together very compactly; the interior
is usually about two inches deep, and one inch and a half broad. The
eggs, from three to five in number, are of an oval shape, and have a pale
grey or reddish shell, marked with dark brown or black. Both parents feed
and tend their nestlings with great care and affection. This species is
sometimes seen in North-western Africa.
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The MARSH WARBLERS (_Calamodytæ_) are recognisable by their slender body,
narrow, flat-browed head, short rounded wing, in which the second or
third quill, or both, exceed the rest in length; moderate-sized tail,
which is either rounded, graduated, or conical; and powerful foot, armed
with strong toes and large hooked claws. The beak varies somewhat in
different species. The plumage of all is compact, harsh in texture, and
usually of a greyish-yellow or olive green tint. In all the different
species a light stripe passes over the region of the eye.
[Illustration: THE REED WARBLER (_Acrocephalus turdoides_).]
The Marsh Warblers inhabit all parts of our globe, but are particularly
numerous in the Eastern Hemisphere. As their name indicates, they
principally frequent marshy districts overgrown with reeds, rushes, or
long grass, and only occasionally seek their food upon bushes; they
entirely avoid mountain ranges, as the water that flows in the vicinity
of the latter is too frequently agitated to suit their requirements.
All lead a somewhat retired life within the limits of their favourite
haunts, but are readily discovered by their very peculiar yet by no means
unpleasing song, which is to be heard almost throughout the entire day.
They fly but little, and with an unsteady fluttering movement, keeping
the tail outspread, and always appear very unwilling to mount into the
air. They hurry over the ground with wonderful rapidity, and slip in and
out of tiny crevices with a celerity that fully equals that of a mouse.
They also hop nimbly from point to point, and climb the perpendicular
stems of reeds or long grass with the utmost facility. Insects of all
kinds afford them their principal means of subsistence, and they also
occasionally eat berries; worms they utterly reject. Such as inhabit
northern climates migrate at the approach of winter. The purse-like nest
built by these birds is hung from a reed or twig close to the water's
edge, and most artistically constructed; its bottom being heavy, the
sides long, and the top turned inwards, so as to prevent the young from
falling out, should the unsteady little structure be exposed to a violent
wind. It is a remarkable fact that the Marsh Warblers appear to be fully
aware that they may occasionally expect an unusual rise of water in the
lake or stream near which they live, and always anticipate the danger
that from this cause might accrue to the little family, by suspending
the nest at a proportionate height from the ground. The eggs are hatched
by both parents, and the young tended and fed long after they are fully
fledged.
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The REED WARBLERS (_Acrocephalus_) constitute a group possessing most of
the characteristics that distinguish this family. In these birds the beak
is almost straight, or very slightly curved at its extremity; the wings
are of moderate size, the third and fourth quills exceeding the rest in
length; the exterior tail-feathers are somewhat shortened, and the foot
unusually powerful. The compact and unspotted plumage is usually olive
green on the upper portion of the body, and reddish or yellowish white
beneath.