70 BBITISH BIRDS 



did not know this warbler, which may now be heard singing any 

 day in spring in the neighbourhood of Selborne village. 



The garden warbler is often said to rank next to the blackcap as 

 a melodist. The songs of these two species have a great resem- 

 blance ; it is, indeed, rare to find two songsters, however closely 

 allied, so much alike in their language. The garden warbler's song 

 is like an imitation of the blackcap's, but is not so powerful and 

 brilliant : some of its notes possess the same bright, pure, musical 

 quality, but they are hurriedly delivered, shorter, more broken 

 up, as it were. On the other hand, to compensate for its inferior 

 character, there is more of it ; the bird, sitting concealed among the 

 clustering leaves, will sing by the hour, his rapid, warbled strain 

 sometimes lasting for several minutes without a break. 



The garden warbler is a late bird, seldom arriving in this 

 country before the end of April. It builds a rather slight nest, in a 

 bush near the ground, of dry grass and moss, lined with hair and 

 fibrous roots. The eggs are five in number, and are dull white, 

 sometimes greenish white, blotched and speckled with dull brown 

 and grey. 



The food of this warbler consists of small insects ; and it is also 

 fond of fruit and berries. 



Six species of the genus Sylvia are included in books on British 

 birds : the four already described, the orphean warbler {Sylvia 

 orj)hea), an accidental visitor from Central and Southern Europe, 

 and the barred warbler {Sylvia nisoria), Irom Central, South, and 

 East Europe. 



Furze- Wren, or Dartford Warbler. 

 Melizophilus undatus. 



Upper parts greyish black ; wing-coverts and feathers blackish 

 brown ; outer tail feathers broadly, and the rest narrowly, tipped 

 with light brownish grey ; imder parts chestnut-brown ; belly white. 

 Tail long ; wings very short. Length, five inches. 



The furze- wren, never a common species in this country, is now 

 become so scarce, and is, moreover, so elusive, that it is hard to 

 find, and harder still to observe narrowl3^ Its somewhat singular 

 appearance among the warblers — its small size, short, rounded 



