The Dartford Warbler, 83 



a building site. In character the nest is small, deep and flimsy ; it is formed 

 principally of thin bents, interwoven with stems of goosegrass and moss, a little 

 green furze, and wool. 



The eggs vary from four to five and are greenish or bufiish white, mottled 

 with olive and spotted with reddish brown ; the marking is more densely 

 distributed over the surface than in eggs of the Greater Whitethroat, to which 

 in other respects they bear a slight resemblance; they, however, tend to be longer, 

 and to my mind would be more aptly likened to very diminutive eggs of the 

 Rock Pipit, or to some eggs of the Tree Sparrow. I do not think anyone well 

 acquainted with British Birds' eggs would ever confound those of the Dartford 

 Warbler and Whitethroat. 



The breeding-season of this species is from April to July, and two broods 

 are reared in the j'ear ; the second nest is said to be usually less compact than 

 the earlier one ; this is constructed in June, when there is less necessity for a 

 warm receptacle for the eggs. 



The food of the Dartford Warbler consists principall}' of insects, and Mr. 

 Booth, in the "Zoologist," for 1887, states that it " generall}^ feeds its young on 

 the body of a large yellow moth," which he says the parent birds hunted for 

 among the lower part of the stems of the foliage. I have little doubt the moth 

 intended is one of the common Yellow-underwings fTriphocna iatilhina, orbona, or 

 pronuba) which I have frequentl}^ disturbed from furze-bushes in the day-time. In 

 the autumn wild berries are also eaten. 



As this species is a fairly meritorious songster there is no doubt that it 

 would be an interesting aviary pet; its scolding note is a somewhat harsh cha-cha, 

 but its call-note is probably soft and pleasing like that of other Warblers. Its 

 actions are sprightly, the tail being expanded as it alights; its flight is rapid and 

 undulating, but not powerful. 



There is not the least doubt that this species could be fed in confinement 

 upon the mixture which I have recommended for other insectivorous birds, 

 supplemented by mealworms, caterpillars, moths, flies, cockroaches, earwigs, and 

 spiders ; these last, which are rarely mentioned in works on British Ornithology, 

 form a considerable portion of the diet of all insectivorous birds ; they are not 

 only easy to capture, easy of digestion (even seeming to have a beneficial effect 

 upon birds when out of health) but they are relished much more than any form 

 of insect or its larvae, not excluding mealworms : centipedes also are eaten with 

 avidity, but not millipedes, and many birds refuse to touch woodlice or only kill 

 and leave them. 



The Dartford Warblers which Montagu kept in confinement were taken from 



X 



