Mr. R. Collett on Phylloscopus borealis. 221 



composed of some dry birch-leaves ; the outside consisted of 

 coarse straws and moss, the interior of finer straws, but 

 without a trace of hairs or feathers. The number of young 

 birds in the first was seven, in the other six. Each brood 

 was about nine days old. 



The third nest (July 28th) also lay on a high slope covered 

 with birch trees, protected by a thin branch of juniper and 

 surrounded mostly by Cornus suecica, while the other tall 

 forest plants here were absent. This nest was thus somewhat 

 exposed. Like the others, it was domed and loosely put 

 together, inside with fine straws, outside of larger, but never- 

 theless soft, straws, as well as a good deal of two kinds of 

 moss which covered the ground in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood, viz. Hylocomimn splendens, Hedw., and Dicranum sco- 

 parium, Hedw. The number of young was six, nearly ready 

 to fly*. 



In these three nests the first eggs must have been laid 

 about July 11th, 10th, and 9th; the number of eggs were 

 seven, six, and six respectively. The distance between the 

 first and second nest was about three kilometres, between the 

 second and third about one kilometre. 



Whilst the females are sitting, the males have each their 

 singing-place, which they hardly ever leave. It was on a 

 little hill within the woods covered with larger birch and a 

 few pine trees which towered above the others. Here the 

 male would sit, in the top of the loftiest trees, and sing 

 almost incessantly the whole day; it stopped only for a 

 few moments, when it generally entirely disappeared, and 

 sometimes it could then be seen to meet the female. Some 

 minutes after it would perch again on the top of its tree, as 

 a rule on the same branch, and recommence its song again. 



The singing-place is undoubtedly at some distance from 

 the nest ; as previously stated, my friend and myself could 

 never discover a trace of the nest there, although the ground 

 around was most carefully searched. The singing male did 

 not take the least notice of our presence, and never by a move- 

 ment or change of note did it exhibit the slightest anxiety. 

 * This brood is now mounted in the University Museum, Christiania. 



