34 OUR FAVOURITE SOXG BIRDS 



ably is that it seeks to hide itself from observation 

 almost directly it feels itself to be an object of 

 scrutiny. 



During the breeding season the Garden Warbler 

 usually proclaims its presence by its song. Gener- 

 ally the sweet little singer is safely hidden amongst 

 the bowers of dense vernal foliage, and so quickly 

 does he glide from one part of the cover to another 

 that at most a fleeting glimpse is obtained. There 

 is but one other British Warbler that can outrival 

 the present species in vocal power, and that is the 

 Blackcap. If this bird be not present for direct 

 comparison there is little in the quality of its voice 

 to mark inferiority. It certainly is a softer, more 

 subdued song, wanting that loud flute-like joyous 

 character which is such a feature of the Blackcap's 

 melody, but it is exquisitely sweet notwithstanding. 

 It is a song w'hich, to us, always leaves the im- 

 pression that the singer is bashful, and alarmed at 

 its own temerity in venturing to join in the spring- 

 tide chorus at all — a song which expresses in 

 sweetly eloquent language the unassuming disposi- 

 tion of the great vocalist himself, a characteristic of 

 much human as well as avine genius. The Garden 

 Warbler is certainly not such a persistent singer as 

 the Blackcap ; it is more fitful, and heard to best 

 advantage in early morning. The song, as is usual 

 in this group, is continued until the eggs are 

 hatched, when it abruptly dies away for the year. 



