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Transactions of the 



[Sess. 



to anything like the same distance, Avhich fact may in part be 

 explained by its not possessing the same force, as well as from the 

 sound being deadened by the thick foliage or brushwood amidst 

 which the bird usually takes up its position. It is to this power of 

 mimicry that we are indebted for much of the pleasure derived from 

 the songs of several species ; for in the case of the Sedge- Warbler, 

 Whitethroat, &c., the natural melody is somewhat disappointingly 

 broken up by a guttural kind of twittering, curious enough in itself, 

 but certainly not tuneful. Whatever may be the diiference of ideas as 

 to the quality of the music, there can be but one opinion as to the 

 quantity, the little singers being no niggards in that respect, as for 

 some considerable portion of their residence here they warble more 

 or less continuously during the day, and some among them prolong 

 the strain far into the night as well. Being to a large extent insect- 

 ivorous, the benefit they confer on our country during their sojourn 

 is an important item, and far exceeds the trifling damage committed 

 upon fruit or other garden produce, of which they are sometimes 

 accused. As an illustration, in passing, of the narrow-mindedness that 

 prevails in some quarters, — a gardener, of average intelligence on 

 ordinary subjects, gravely informed me lately that it would be much 

 better in every way for the success of his labours if all birds were 

 destroyed, no distinction being made on his part between insect- 

 ivorous and granivorous species. It is almost superfluous to remark, 

 that with a man who held such sweeping opinions, argument was out 

 of the question. In a merely £Bsthetic point of view, the Warblers 

 must always be welcome visitants, as, arriving in large numbers, they 

 help greatly to enliven with their presence those woods and hedge- 

 rows which, during the long and dreary winter months, have borne 

 such a cold and deserted looking aspect. 



With this short introduction, we may now turn to examine more 

 particularly the birds themselves. Properly speaking, the family 

 known as Sylviidae contains other birds, such as the Eobin, Eedstart, 

 Chats, &c., but in this instance the term is only meant to comprehend 

 those which are generally recognised by the title " Warblers." Of 

 these Yarrell gives the names of twenty which have visited England ; 

 some of these, however, come under the category of chance stragglers 

 only: but in our less favoured country of Scotland we can barely lay 

 claim to half that number. These are as follows : — 



Blackcap, Sylvia atricapilla. 

 Garden- Warbler, Sylvia salicaria. 

 Whitethroat, Sylvia rufa. 

 Lesser Whitethroat, Sylvia curruca. 

 Sedge- Warbler, Acrocephalus schoeno- 



bcenus. 

 Wood- Warbler, Phylloscopus sihilatrix. 



Willow - Warbler, Phylloscopus tro- 



chUus. 

 Chiff-ChaflF, Phylloscopus collybita. 

 Gi-asshopper - Warbler, Acrocephalus 



ncevius. 

 Reed - Warbler, Acrocephalus stre- 



perns. 



