THE LESSER WHITETHROAT. 133 



injure the trees, but that the countless aphides and cater- 

 pillars which they devoured at an earlier period of the 

 year, would, if they had been allowed to remain, have 

 feasted on the leaves and young shoots, and so not only 

 have imperilled the coming crop, but damaged the tree so 

 materially as to impair its fertility for some time to come. 

 Those birds, therefore, which in spring feed on insects, and 

 nourish their young on the same diet, may be looked 

 on as instruments employed by the providence of God to 

 protect from injury the trees which are destined to supply 

 them with support when insect food becomes scarce. But 

 consider what would be the result if the proper food of 

 birds were leaves, or if insects were permitted to devour 

 the foliage unchecked ! our woods would be leafless, our 

 gardens would become deserts. Not without reason then 

 did the Psalmist exclaim, " Lord, how manifold are Thy 

 works ! in wisdom hast Thou made them all." 



THE WOOD-WAEBLEK 



SYLVIA SYLVICOLA. 



UpiDer plumage bright yellowish gi-een ; a broad streak of sulphur-yellow over 

 the eye ; sides of the head, throat, insertion of the wings and legs bright 

 yellow ; rest of the under plumage pure white ; second primary equal to the 

 fourth, third and fourth with the outer web sloped off at the extremity ; legs 

 pale brown. Length five inches and a half ; breadth eight and three quarters. 

 Eggs white, speckled so thickly with purplish brown as almost to conceal 

 the ground. 



The Wood- warbler, Willow-warbler, and Chiff-chaff re- 

 semble each other so closely in size, colour, and habits, 

 that except by a practised observer, they are likely to be 

 mistaken for one another. In song, however, they differ 

 materially, and as this is begun early, and continued till 

 very late in the season, it affords ready means of discrimi- 

 nating the species. The Wood-warbler, or Wood- wren as it 

 is sometimes called, arrives in England towards the end of 

 April, and betakes itself to woodland districts, where it 



