Page:The British Warblers A History with Problems of Their Lives - 1 of 9.djvu/17

 breeding species, since there are still extensive unexplored swamps in the country.

The Russian Empire is a large breeding ground. In Poland it is the most common of all the reed-warblers, and it is also numerous in the Baltic provinces. Crossing the Gulf of Finland, we find it common in suitable places in the provinces of Nyland and Tevastehus, in the neighbourhood of Åbo and Björneborg, near Lake Uleå, and on the Island of Carlö; and still further north breeding in the Kola Peninsula, but rare on the shores of Lake Enara. It occurs north-east of Lake Ladoga, in the province of Olonetz, on the banks of the River Svir and near Lake Onega. In the vicinity of Archangel it is numerous, and it also occurs in the valleys of the Petchora, Ob and Yenesei.

In the provinces of Pskov, St. Petersburg, Smolensk, Jaroslav and Kasan it is common, scarce in Novgorod, Tver and Riazan, and local in Moscow and Tula.

In the central valley of the Volga it is numerous, also in places in the Ural districts, but in the province of Orenburgh it is local, and rare in the Kirghiz Steppes, and again we find it numerous in Astrakhan and the delta of the Volga; and continuing south we find it occurring in Stavropol, Terek and Trans-Caucasia, and crossing the Caspian Sea inhabiting the Mangishlak Peninsula, Ust Urt plateau, and the valley of Amu Daria.

In Turkestan it is migratory and breeds, and we trace it eastward to the Altai Mountains.

In Palestine it is common in suitable places, also in many parts of Africa, breeding in Algeria, Tripoli, Tunis and Egypt.

The winter home is principally Central and Southern Africa, but it probably also remains in some of the countries bordering on the Mediterranean, since it has been found at this season in Dalmatia.

In Lower Egypt it is common, and has been found in Somaliland and on Lake Haramaia, and we also trace it to German East Africa and as far south as Damaraland.