28 BIRDS OF LANCASHIRE. 



imitations are confined to the notes of alarm (the fret- 

 ting notes as they are called here) of these birds, and so 

 exactly does it imitate them, both in tone and modula- 

 tion, that if it were to confine itself to one (no matter 

 which) and not interlard the wailings of the little Ked- 

 pole and the shrieks of the Martin, with the curses of 

 the House- Sparrow, the twink twiiik of the Chaffinch, 

 and its own care for noiKjht chatter, the most practised 

 ear would not detect the difference." He also says that 

 he has heard it mimic, and not invariably the alarm- 

 notes, the Starling, Whitethroat, and common Linnet, 

 but never Larks or Thrushes, the notes of the Spar- 

 row, Whinchat, Swallow, and Starling being its chief 

 favourites for practise on. Bolton (" Harmonia Eu- 

 ralis ") states in 1794 that in some parts of Lancashire 

 it is taken for the Nightingale, and that it is plentiful, 

 inhabiting the borders of still ponds, and marl-pits, and 

 this is still true, for it is found on the lower levels 

 wherever there is a suitable marshy spot of ground, and 

 breeds numerously in such localities throughout the 

 whole county. Up to the year 1861, Mr. John Plant 

 says that it bred in the osiers on the banks of the river 

 at Peel Park in Salford. Its nest is sometimes partly 

 suspended after the manner of the Keed-Warbler, but 

 more often is supported in the usual way, and occasion- 

 ally it is built in a hedge, if pretty thick, seven or 

 eight feet from the ground. The eggs, six or seven in 

 number, are laid from the middle of May to the middle 

 of June : Dr. St. Clair tells me that on May 9th, 1879, 

 he saw two nests near Blackpool each with five eggs, 

 and Mr. E. Standen has twice found the nest with a 

 brood of young in September, but these dates are both 

 extraordinary. The wiiite streak over the eye is the 

 most distinguishing part of the plumage. 



