THE BLUEBREAST. 79 



rose. It begins its song early in the morning, and often continues it 

 Lite in the evening, when most other birds have gouo to rest; the 

 slightest noise or stir near the spot will stay its musio. 



Mr. J. D. Hoy, a Suffolk naturalist, who has had opportunities of 

 studying the habits of this bird on the Continent, says that it makes 

 its appearance early in the spring, preceding the Nightingale ten or 

 twelve days; in the breeding season it frequents low swampy grounds, 

 on the woody borders of boggy heaths, and on the banks of streams 

 that tlow through moist meadows, whore there is plenty of alder and 

 willow underwood, near to or amid which the nest is generally placed 

 on the ground among plants of the bog myrtle, or amid coarse 

 grass; sometimes it is on the sides of sloping baidvs, well clothed 

 with vegetation, or in tho scraggy brushwood of moist bottoms. The 

 nest, which is closely hidden and difhcult to discover, ia composed of 

 dead grass aud moss, lined with finer grass; the eggs are from four 

 to six in number, of an uniform greenish blue colour, a good deal 

 hke those of the Hedge Sparrow. Tho notes of the bird resemble 

 those of the Wliiuchat, but they are more powerful; Bechstein com- 

 pares the song to that of the Common Wagtail, with tho addition of 

 a deep humming sound, like the vibration of a string, with which it 

 commences. 



In appearance this bird presents many points of resen^blance to 

 both the Kedstart and the Wagtail, forming as it were a link between 

 the two; its usual length is about five inches and a half, of which 

 the tail takes up two inches and a quarter: the sharp-pointed beak 

 is blackish, with yellow corners, the iris is brown, the feet flesh- 

 coloured, the claws dusky; the head, back, and wing coverts are 

 brown, sprinkled with grey; a reddish white line passes over each 

 eye; the cheeks are a rusty brown, bordered with dark grey; the 

 throat and half way down the breast are dark azure blue, with a 

 small white spot shiuiug out of it, like a star, tho brightness of which 

 seems to increase when the bird is excited, as while singing; there 

 is a blackisli bordei' around tho blue, aud an orange streak buyuud 

 this; tho ijoUy lb diii^y white, the shanks uud sides reddish grey. 



