WHITETHROAT. 37 



looked, and in consequence considered much scarcer 

 than it really is. Like the Blackcap it is very fond of 

 fruit. As its name implies, the gardens and orchards 

 are a favourite resort, but it can hardly be called a 

 good gardener, for although it is useful in ridding the 

 fruit of insects it is so partial to strawberries, rasp- 

 berries, currants and other fruit, that most gardeners 

 would willingly part with it. 



The nest is built in May. It is loosely put together, 

 reminding one very much of the nest of the Whitethroat. 

 It is placed near to the ground, generally among the 

 tall grass, in a hedge, or in a bed of nettles. I have 

 also found it hidden beneath the leaves of a bramble. 

 Occasionally it is placed in a gooseberry bush or fixed 

 to the twigs of the raspberry canes. It is made of 

 grass or straw, with wool or moss, and lined with 

 roots and hair. The eggs, four or five, are of a dull 

 yellowish grey, or pale purple-brown colour, spotted 

 and streaked, chiefly at the larger end, with light grey 

 and olive brown. So similar are some of the eggs to 

 those of the Blackcap, that the birds should be care- 

 fully observed, if possible, to make quite sure of the 

 identity of them. As a general rule, perhaps, we may 

 take it that the eggs of the Blackcap are brighter and 

 more uniformly marked than those of the Garden 

 Warbler and also slightly larger. 



WHITETHROAT. 



SYLVIA CINEREA. 



Family Passerid^. Sub-family Sylvhn/E. Genus Sylvia. 



Common Whitethroat — Nettle Creeper. 



The Whitethroat mayperhapsbe regardedasthe most 



common of our summer migrants. It may be found 



