2S0 Mr. Montagu's Observations 



hat on, without violent efforts to avoid the displeasing object, by 

 fluttering about in an extraordinary manner; and in this way it 

 lost its life. 



We must also remark, that the monotonous song of the male 

 Mas so incessant, and so shrill and piercing to the ear, that at 

 times it became insufferable: it resembles so much the vociferous 

 call-notes of the Lesser White-throat, Sylvia sylviella, that it re- 

 quires more than ordinary knowledge in the language of birds not 

 to be deceived. The female never uttered any thing but a sim- 

 ple plaintive note. 



Dartford Warbler. 

 Motacilla provincialis. Gmel. Syst. ii. p. 958. 

 Sylvia Dartfordiensis. hid. Orn. ii. p. 517- 

 Dartford Warbler. Lath. Syn. iv. p. 437- 

 Warbler, Dartford. Orn. Diction. 



In addition to the natural history of this bird, we beg leave 

 to add, that we have observed it frequently in the southern parts 

 of Devonshire since the 8th of September 1802, on which day 

 several were seen ; and the young readily distinguished from the 

 adults by their paler plumage, even at a distance. These at times 

 presented themselves to our notice till the latter end of January 

 in the present year. Two that were shot about this time proved, 

 by dissection, to be of different sexes ; the plumage nearly alike, 

 but rather darker in the male. In the gizzard were the elytra of 

 some minute species of Coleopterous insects, and some small dark- 

 coloured seeds. 



They affect situations similar to those which we observed them 

 to frequent in Cornwall; and no other place except in, or very 

 contiguous to, thick furze, where they find the most secure 

 shelter. They are not confined to one spot, but the most we ob- 

 served were in a valley that opened to the sea, and not above 

 two miles from it. In 



