Perchins^ Birds. 



53 



The Whitethroat is a shy httle bird and creeps about in search of its insect food 

 in the thick hedges, especially those encumbered with a side-growth of nettles and 

 brambles. Occasionally the male bird mounts into the air, utters a pretty little song 

 and descends with a quivering flight to its former place of retreat. After their first 

 arrival in spring, the Whitethroats may be noticed in the gardens and orchards, 

 where the}' often appear on the tops of the hedges with the feathers of the crown and 

 throat distended, making their heads look double their actual size, and they will often 

 come so close that their pale-coloured little eye can be seen distinctl}'. 



The Whitethroat is called ' Nettle Creeper ' and ' Hay Chat ' in different districts 

 of England, and is found everj'where in summer, but becomes rarer in the North of 

 Scotland, where it is not known to breed. It is generally distributed throughout 

 Europe in summer and winters in Africa. The nest is made of grass-stems and is 

 so slightl}' constructed that it can be seen through. The eggs are from four to s_ix 

 in number, the ground colour being white, spotted 

 with olive-brown and violet-grey. 



A single occurrence of 

 THE SUB-ALPINE 

 WARBLER. 

 [Sylvia snbalpina.) 



this pretty little Warbler 



has been noted in Britain, 



a specimen having been 

 procured on S. Kilda, of all places, on the 13th ot 

 June, 1S94, by Mr. J. S. Elliot, who thought that 

 it was a Dartford Warbler at the time he captured 

 it. The species inhabits the Mediterranean 

 countries, and is easily distinguished from the 

 Whitethroats by its chestnut chin and breast. In 

 habits it much resembles the last-named birds. 



As its name implies, this 



is a smaller bird than the 



common Whitethroat, and has the bastard-primai}' longer than 



the primary-coverts. It is pale ashy-brown, with a lighter slaty- 

 grey crown, contrasting with the back; the under surface is pure white, with a tint of 

 pink on the fore-neck and breast, less distinct on the sides of the body. It is a little 

 browner in winter and thej'oung birds are washed with brown below, with a great deal of 

 white on the outer tail-feather, which has an oblique black mark across the inner web. 



The present species is a summer visitor to Great Britain, but does not nest in 

 Ireland and only sparingly in the south of Scotland, It breeds throughout Central 

 and Western Europe, and winters in the Mediterranean countries and Northern 

 Africa. In habits it is a very shy bird, and seeks for its food in hedgerows, where 

 the foliage is dense, but it is also sometimes found in trees, engaged in searching the 

 leaves diligently for insects. Like the common Whitethroat and other Warblers, it 

 utters a scolding ' churr,' when disturbed, or when its nest is approached. The latter 



THE LESSER 



WHITETHROAT. 



[Sylvia citmica.) 



The Sub-Alpine Warbler. 



