IN DEVONSHIRE lANES. 217 



with their songs of sighs, for Devonshire is too 

 far to the west of the Nightingale's line of northern 

 flight, and the south-west peninsula of England, 

 although, so far as we can see, suited in every way 

 to the bird's requirements, as yet remains deserted. 

 The day may come, however, when the Nightingale 

 will gradually increase its range in this direction ; 

 indeed, signs are not wanting that this emigra- 

 tion is slowly taking place. At one time, almost 

 within the memory of the present generation, the 

 Starling was a rare bird in Devonshire, now it 

 is one of the commonest species in the county, 

 having steadily increased its western breeding area 

 in England. In the lanes, however, there are 

 Warblers enough to make the hedges ring with 

 gladsome music from dawn to even. Here the 

 Blackcap warbles from the meeting branches over- 

 head, now on a topmost spray, then from some 

 cool shady nook among the leaves, perhaps just 

 above the thicket where he and his mate have 

 slung their tiny net-like cradle which already con- 

 tains their spotted eggs. This Warbler is remark- 

 ably common in many parts of Devonshire, especially 

 in spring — April— when numbers pass the county 

 on their way to more northern haunts, lingering 

 here and there for days together. I have remarked 



