51 



This inward warble of the Whitebreast is extremely pretty, cheerful, and 

 lively, but very low, scarcely audible at a trifling distance. It consists of a variety 

 of pleasing chirps, delivered continuously, in a warbling manner, and quite devoid 

 of all that harshness which is too prevalent in the song of the Whitethroat. A 

 note-like sip, sip, sip,* is often introduced, which will enable the young ornitho- 

 logist at once to recognize it. This warble is often repeated for many minutes, 

 almost without intermission ; as is also the case with that of the Blackcapt Fauvet, 

 its more generally known congener. As in that charming songster, this warble 

 commences, when in confinement, in spring, long before the loud notes are ever 

 uttered, and it is similarly discontinued, by slow degrees, some time before the 

 latter cease to be heard. As the Blackcap, too, almost invariably concludes with 

 its loud and cheerful warble, so also does the Whitebreast mostly terminate with its 

 loud, shrill, and monotonous shivering cry ; which note not a little resembles the 

 reiterated and tiresome chant of the Cirl Bunting. The louder songs of both the 

 Blackcap and Whitebreast may be heard, though gradually less and less frequently, 

 till the end of July. 



The general habits of the wild Whitebreasted Fauvet approximate very closely 

 to those of the Blackcap and Garden Fauvets, and it inhabits very nearly the same 

 localities. Authors have described it to frequent exclusively the closest under- 

 wood ; " on which account," says Selby, " specimens are only to be obtained with 

 difficulty, and by patient watching." But it does not appear that this eminent 

 ornithologist was personally much acquainted with the living bird, having, most 

 probably, written from the imperfect description of some correspondent. In 

 many parts of Surrey, where the species is extremely plentiful, it is as fre- 

 quently observed in trees as the Garden Fauvet, and may be often seen, or 

 rather heard (but, if watched for, may be seen also), at a considerable height 

 from the ground. I have, indeed, more frequently noticed it near the summits 

 of high trees than either of its British congeners, and have repeatedly shot 

 it from such situations. Moreover, I cannot even admit that it is a particularly 

 shy species ; but, on the contrary, it is, from its restlessness, much more fre- 

 quently visible, and therefore somewhat easier to procure, than either the Black- 

 cap or Garden Fauvets. It may likewise be often seen resting, with its plumage 

 puffed, perched conspicuously in the sunshine on some bare branch, where its 

 snowy white breast renders it extremely noticeable.f 



* Of course I am aware that consonants never occur in the notes of birds ; at the same 

 time, my purpose is sufficiently effected if some idea can be thus conveyed of the parti- 

 cular sound to which I allude, and this, I think, may be pretty correctly gleaned from the 

 above attempt to spell it. 



+ I must here plead innocent of confounding, in this instance, the subject of the present 

 memoir with the Grey Flycatcher ( Musckapa grisola), or the Grove Petty chaps (Sylvia 

 sibilans), both of which may be often seen watching for passing insects in similar situations, 



