WARBLERS, ACCENTORS, ETC. 



387 



The Willow 

 Warbler. 



and claws hlackish-browii. The colour of both 

 sexes are similar, except that the males are a 

 little brighter colour, and the hen has the shorter 

 bill of the two. 



The Chiffchaff is not at all a difTicult bird 

 to adapt to cage-life, and will do well on similar 

 food to the Dart ford Warbler. It may also 

 be kept and shown in similar cages, and as it 

 is seldom seen at exhibitions it would have a 

 good chance of success if steady and in perfect 

 plumage. 



The Willow Warbler, Phiilloscopiis trochilus 

 (Neii'ton), also known as the Willow Wren, 

 is a summer visitor to nearly 

 every part of the British Isles 

 and Europe, arriving a few days 

 later than the ChilTchaff, usually by the end 

 of IMarch, and leaving again for Africa about the 

 end of September or beginning of October. It 

 is not unlike the Chiffchalf in appearance, 

 though the wing of that bird is much rounder, 

 but it is best distinguished by the colour of its 

 feet and claws, which are light brown. There 

 is very little difference between male and female, 

 the latter being a shade smaller and a little 

 more tinged with brown above and having the 

 yellow of the under parts less clear, but even 

 when side by side this difference is very 

 slight . 



The Willow Warliler inhabits woods, copses, 

 plantations, shrubberies, thick hedgerows, and 

 bushes or furze on commons and hills, building 

 its nest upon the ground. It is a pretty and 

 lively bird, quite amusing in its actions, flying 

 or hopping from branch to branch, capturing 

 any small insect that comes in its way. It 

 has a very soft and pleasing song, not unlike 

 the Robin's, though not so powerful ; it does 

 not possess much variety, yet has the advantage 

 in its favour of being commenced in the early 

 morning and continuing with slight intermissions 

 until the fall of evening. 



Like the preceding bird, it is capable of being 

 easily tamed, and will then feed from the hand, 

 or if allowed to range the room will pursue and 

 capture the Ilies, or peck them off the walls and 

 ceiling. It should be kept in winter in a 

 moderately warm room, and should be fed and 

 kept in a similar cage to that for the ChilT- 

 chaff ; it may also be shown in a similar show- 

 cage and is an equally useful bird for exhibition 

 purposes. 



The Yellow-browed Warbler, Phiilluscopus 

 superciliosLis (Xewlon), is a charming little bird. 

 It has olive-green plumage run- 

 ning into yellowish-green on the 

 rump ; the medium and greater 

 wing-coverts are tipped with 

 yellow, forming into bands, with a distinct eye- 

 stripe of pale yellow ; the under parts are ashy- 



The Wood 

 Warbler. 



The Yellow 



browed 



Warbler. 



Wliitisli, with streaks of yellow on the breast. 

 It could be kept in captivity equally as success- 

 fully as the W'illow Warbler, and on a similar 

 diet. Were it a more regular visitor to our isles 

 (only casual specimens have visited us up to 

 the present) it would not have to compete with 

 Continental birds. It is a smaller bird than the 

 preceding one. 



The Wood W^arbler, Phylloscopus sibilntri.r 

 (Neii'ton), is also kown as the Wood Wren. It 

 arrives in this country towards 

 the end of April or the Ijcginning 

 of May, and is found in most 

 parts of England, Wales and Scotland. It 

 frequents plantations and woods, giving a 

 decided preference to l)eech. It lives almost 

 entirely among the trees, being seldom seen 

 at any great distance from them, and hardly 

 ever on the ground. Its presence is soon made 

 known by its well-known chit-chil. chit-chil- 

 chitee, followed by a long run similar to Ir-tr-lr-tr- 

 tr-tre, the latter swelling in force and making the 

 woodland echo. When not singing the bird is 

 usually examining the leaves above and below 

 with minute scrutiny for insects, which it 

 catches on the wing. It is a very handsome 

 bird, and though somewliat similar in plumage 

 to the Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, is 

 decidedly brighter in colour with more contrast. 

 The whole of the upper part is olive-green, 

 tinged with sulphur-yellow ; this latter is more 

 pronounced on the rump ; from the base of the 

 bill, over the eye to the ear-coverts, runs a 

 narrow streak of yellow, underneath which is a 

 browuislr line ; the chin, throat and l)reast are 

 yellow, inclining to a silvery-white on the 

 abdomen; the wings and tail are brown, each 

 feather being edged with greenish yellow. 



It can be successfully kept in captivity on 

 the same food and in similar cages to those 

 recommended for the preceding birds. The 

 more live food is sujiplied in the shape of insects, 

 live ants' cocoons, grubs, small caterpillars, 

 gentles and such-like the more perfect will be 

 the diet, with consequent longevity of the bird 

 and high condition of colour and plumage. 



The nest is spherical, and built upon the 

 ground, sometimes under a tuft of grass or 

 amongst beech leaves, of which the external 

 portion of the nest is often composed ; it is 

 lined with horsehair. The eggs are very pretty, 

 with a white ground colour thickly dotted with 

 dark, purplish brown and underlying spots of 

 violet-grey. 



The Wood Warbler becomes exceedingly 

 tame, and may be induced to perch on the hand 

 and take flies or other dainty morsels. The 

 show-cage recommended for the W'illow Warbler 

 answers well for this bird, which is also a welcome 

 addition to an aviary of the smaller Warblers, 



