RANSON ON white's THREE WILLOW WRENS. 87 



pleasant." The nest is like that of the Wood Wren, with the exception 

 of being lined with feathers instead of hair, and the eggs, six or seven in 

 number, are white, with spots of reddish brown, numerous at the thick 

 end. The Willow Wren always lines her nest with feathers, and the 

 Wood Wren with horse-hair, and sometimes horse-hair and soft grass, but 

 never with feathers. The lining will always point out to which bird the 

 nest belongs, and saves much trouble to the Oologist. Unlike the Wood 

 Wren, the Willow Wren is very uneasy at the aj^proach of any one to her 

 nest, particularly if it contains young ones, and thus she often betrays her 

 secret by her over anxiety. 



The Chiffchaff, (Sylvia hipjwlais,) was called by White the Least 

 Willow Wren, and is known to "the many" by the name of *'Pettychaps." 

 In March the Chiffchaff makes its appearance in our gardens, and from 

 then to its departure in August its monotonous song consisting of the two 

 syllables chiff-chaff is continually heard. I have ahvays been much 

 pleased with this industrious little bird, and have frequently watched it 

 hawking for flies. Standing on an espalier it darts upon its prey as it 

 flies by, and then returns to its perch. Very kind and attentive is the 

 male bird to his mate when she is sat on her eggs, often feeding her with 

 flies, and treating her with a specimen of his vocal powers, doubtlessly 

 more pleasing to her than the song of the Nightingale would be. The 

 nest is generally placed on or very near the ground in a low bush, or in a 

 thick tuft of grass, and very often among the coarse herbage on a bank 

 side. It is oval shaped, with a round hole near the top ; it is made of 

 coarse grass, intermixed on the outside with dead leaves, and profusely 

 lined with feathers. The eggs are generally six in number, and are not 

 unlike the eggs of the Willow and Wood Wren, being speckled with dark 

 purplish-red. In fact the eggs of the three Willow Wrens are very 

 much alike, and it would be difficult to distinguish them in the ab- 

 sence of the nest. The Chiff chaff is very fond of cherries and currants, 

 and does, at times, considerable damage in gardens where these fruits are 

 much grown. The presence of an old cherry-tree in a garden gives the 

 naturalist a favourable opportunity of studying the habits of some of our 

 summer visitants. The Willow Wrens chiefly feed on insects and 

 caterpillars, and earn, a thousand-fold, their right to a few currants or 

 cherries. 



