64 THE BIRDS OF OXFORDSHIRE. 



from side to side when singing-^ and to the varied pitch at 

 which the song- is delivered. 



THE DARTFORD WARBLER. 



MeHzophilus iindatus. 



The Dartford Warbler is a scarce and local resident in 

 England, being chiefly confined to the heaths and commons 

 of the southern counties. In Oxfordshire it has been observed 

 on two occasions at least, and it is probably a scarce resident 

 in the county. The Messrs. Matthews write, ' In June, 1 834, 

 a pair of these birds were killed near Stow Wood, in the 

 parish of Bcckley, in this county, by Mr. Burney, of Exeter 

 College ; on the same occasion he observed several other 

 specimens, and also found a nest with eggs belonging to this 



sj)ecies Although we have repeatedly searched the 



locality in which they were seen by Mr. Burney, we have not 

 hitherto been successful in findmg any.'' [Zoologist, p. 2597.) 

 'In June, 1878 or 79,'' writes the Rev. H. A. Macpherson, ' I 

 found, after a very long search, and much expenditure of quiet 

 watching, a nest on the side of Shotover nearest Horspath. 

 I saw at least one bird weU.^ [MS.) Mr. J. R. Earle and I 

 unsuccessfully searched this locality on the 12th June, 1883, 

 but a few days after Mr. Earle received an e^^ taken there by 

 a boy which appeared to belong to this species. 



From the difficulty of detecting such a small bird in the 

 dense masses of furze which form its usual haunt, it may 

 easily be overlooked, and the Dartford Warbler may yet be 

 found to inhabit this county in small numbers. Numerous it 

 probably never was, or will be, the severity of Oxfordshire 

 winters being unfavourable to the increase of such a delicate 

 non-migratory bird in the open situations which it affects. 



THE GREATER WHITETHROAT. U 



Sijlvia rxifa. 

 The Whitethroat is a regular and abundant smnmer visitor, 

 arriving about the second or third week in April and re- 



