INSESSORES. 53 



Stewart, in a list of the birds on the northern coast 

 of Donegal, says :* " Its song, if deserving of that 

 name, consists of ten whistling notes, which it runs 

 through the gamut of B, thus : — 



i 





fe 



The latter notes are very soft, and run into each 

 other." 



I am satisfied that the Willow Wren and Chiff 

 Chaff do a vast amount of good in ridding the trees 

 of caterpillars during the summer, for I have re- 

 peatedly seen the birds with their bills literally 

 crammed with these insects (a small green species}, 

 which they carried to their young in the nest. 



The latest stay which I have observed the Willow 

 Wren to make in this county has been September 

 30th. 



Chiff Chaff, Sylvia rufa. The commonest of the 

 three Willow Wrens, and one of the first of our 

 summer migratory birds to arrive. In 1862 the 

 Chiff Chaff was very numerous, and I found a great 

 number of nests. Its usual note sounds like " chiff- 

 chaff, chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff;" now and then changing 

 to "chaff-chiff, chaff-chiff;" or, by doubling them, 

 to "chiffy-chaffy, chiffy-chaffy." 



The Wood Wren, Willow Wren, and Chiff Chaff, 



* * Magazme of Natural History,' vol. v., p. 581. 



F 3 



