GARDEN WARBLER. 347 



lateral feathers like the rest. A small space around the eye 

 whitish ; the cheeks pale brownish ; the lower parts yellowish- 

 white, the lower part of the neck anteriorly tinged with reddish- 

 brown, as are the sides ; the axillar feathers, and lower wing- 

 coverts of a fine ochraceous yellow tint, the lower tail-coverts 

 pale greyish-brown, with white margins. 



Length to end of tail 6 inches ; extent of wings 9 ; bill 

 along the ridge j%, along the edge of lower mandible j-^ ; wing 

 from flexm-e 3j ; tail 2j\ ; tarsus y| ; first toe j^^, its claw 

 j% ; second toe j\ , its claw ^ ^^ ; third toe ~ | , its claw j ^ ; 

 fourth toe j|, its claw |^. 



Female. — The female scarcely differs from the male in size 

 or colour. 



Habits. — The Garden Warbler makes its appearance in the 

 south of England in the end of April or early in May, and ac- 

 cording to various authorities is generally distributed in that 

 country, although nowhere very common. Mr Robert D. 

 Duncan, who has favoured me with some interesting notices 

 respecting birds, writes as follows : — " Amongst the summer 

 visitants of Midcalder in West Lothian I have noticed the 

 Fauvette, or Greater Pettychaps, Sylvia hortensis. I have 

 only twice seen or heard it however, and both times it was fre- 

 quenting an underwood plantation, and there it warbled with 

 its peculiar mellowness and sweetness combined, as it threaded 

 its way round the trunks of the trees, through the brakes and 

 the bushes of the copse."" Mr Syme states that he has heard it 

 on Corstorphine Hill and in Roslyn Woods, in the vicinity of 

 Edinburgh. I have also heard of its occurring at Currie in 

 the same neighbourhood, but have not met with it in any part 

 of Scotland, and have failed in procuring specimens shot there. 

 Mr Selby however has been more fortunate, for he has " found 

 it throughout the greater part of Scotland, particularly where 

 the wooded districts margin the lakes and rivers."" 



Not being well acquainted with the habits of this species, 

 I must refer to those who have described them. The follow- 

 ing is Montagu's account. " This species of Warbler, which 



