348 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



WHITETHROAT, LESSER. 



Description of Parent Birds. — Length from five 

 to five and a quarter inches ; bill rather short, 

 yellowish-brown at the base, and nearly black 

 towards the tip. Irides from yellowish to pearl 

 white, according to the age of the bird. Head, 

 neck, back, rump, and upper tail-coverts greyish- 

 brown ; wing and tail-qnills dusky, edged with 

 greyish-brown ; ear-coverts dark greyish-brown ; 

 chin, throat, and under-parts greyish-white, tinged 

 between the thighs and round the vent with red, 

 also, in some specimens, across the breast ; legs, 

 toes, and claws leaden grey. 



The female is said to be a trifle duller in her 

 plumage than the male, but in all other respects 

 is very similar. Differs in size as its name implies, 

 from the Whitethroat. 



Situation and Localiti/. — In a low, sloping hedge 

 (our illustration is from a photograph of a nest 

 in such a situation and was taken in Surrey), 

 amongst briars, brambles, nettles, gorse and low 

 bushes, entangled by tall coarse grass and weeds ; 

 in gardens, orchards, on commons, rough waste 

 lands, by river banks, and the sides of small woods. 

 Fairly plentiful in the South and East of England, 

 but rare in the West, North, and Scotland, and 

 very rarely met with, indeed, in Ireland. 



Materials. — Dead grass stalks, with an inner 

 lining of horsehair. The whole structure is but 

 a shallow, frail network-looking affair, that can be 

 seen through with ease. It is sometimes tied or 

 cemented together with old cobwebs. 



Eggs. — Eour to five ; white, light creamy white, 

 or white with the faintest suggestion of green, in 



