128 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



shy, as I have had half a dozen of them within a few 

 yards of where I sat unconcealed, but they certainly 

 have a knack of keeping out of sight, and ten may be 

 heard for one that is seen. 



The nest of this bird, which is generally placed in 

 thick covert, very often in a gooseberry- or ciuTant- 

 bush, is a rather more substantial structure than that 

 of our well-known Blackcap ; the eggs, four or five in 

 number, are often hardly to be distinguished from 

 those of that species, w'hich vary greatly ; but, as a 

 rule, those of the present species are the lighter- 

 coloured of the two. 



This bird is very abundant throughout Southern 

 Europe ; I have met with it from Andalucia to Cyprus. 

 In several of the Mediterranean countries it is known 

 as " Beccafico," i. e. " Fig-picker," a name which it 

 fully deserves ; and in the autumn it is shot and caught 

 in great number in Spain, Italy, Malta, and the 

 Greek islands for the table, and being, at that season, 

 exceedingly fat from an abundant fruit-diet, is a very 

 dainty morsel. Many other small birds come under 

 the above-mentioned designation, but the present 

 species far surpasses any other of its congeners in 

 flavour. In Algeria I found the Garden-Warbler very 

 abundant in May, devoting its special attention to 

 the young mulberries, but I could not discover that 

 the bird breeds in that country, as it certainly does in 

 Southern Spain. In the latter part of July and 

 throughout August these birds throng into our kitchen- 

 gardens, and are, I think, greater devourcrs of fruit 

 than any of our other Warblers, though not so abun- 

 dant as the Common Whitethroats or Blackcaps. I 

 seldom see a Garden-AVarbler later than the second 

 week of September. 



