294 SYLVIADE. 



montary volume of his General Synopsis of Birds, page 185. 

 This warbler visits many parts of England every year, arriving 

 about the third week in April. In many of its habits it closely 

 resembles those of the three Warblers which immediately 

 precede it in this work, is inferior to them in the quality 

 of its song, but is equally active and restless. It frequents 

 high and thick hedges, shrubberies, orchards, and gardens, 

 and is occasionally to be seen and heard in lofty trees. 

 The louder notes of this bird have nothing particular in their 

 tone to recommend them ; but in a wild state, if approached 

 with sufRcient caution to prevent alarm, or when kept in 

 confinement, a low, soft, and pleasing whistle, may be heard, 

 which is almost incessant, so much so as to have induced the 

 application of garrulo, and babillard, as terms of specific 

 distinction. 



The food of this species is also very similar to that sought 

 for by the Common Whitethroat, — namely, insects in their 

 various states, the smaller fruits of many different sorts, for 

 which it visits the gardens, and later in the season it feeds on 

 the berries of the elder, and some others. It is not, however, 

 so easy to preserve this bird in health during confinement as 

 the Common Whitethroat. 



The nest is frequently placed among brambles or low 

 bushes : it is slight in structure, generally formed on the out- 

 side with strong bents, lined inside with finer bents, fibrous 

 roots, and horse hair. As this bird is readily distinguished 

 from the more common Whitethroat by being rather shorter, 

 as well as more slender in its form, so are its eggs rather 

 smaller, measuring but eight lines in length, by six lines in 

 breadth ; the ground colour white, sparingly spotted and 

 speckled, principally at the larger end, with ash grey and 

 light brown. The eggs in number are four or five ; and Mr. 

 Jenyns has remarked that incubation commences about the 

 20th of May. 



