160 AMONGST THE WOODLAND BIRDS— 
is marked like that of a sparrow, but the tail 
is long and the general appearance is quite 
unlike that bird. It is migratory, reaching 
us in April and leaving in September or 
October. It prefers a lonely life, except during 
nesting time. Its food is chiefly) imseets 
(often taken on the wing like the fly-catcher), 
but it is also fond of ripe fruit. Second nests 
are rare. There is also the Lesser White- 
throat, a somewhat smaller and much rarer 
visitor than the other. Its eggs are white 
or dull buff marked with greenish-brown 
blotches and markings of purplish grey. 
At last we came to the lane, which was a 
long one with scarcely any houses or cottages, 
and a veritable paradise for birds. It con- 
tinued for at least three miles,and was skirted 
on each side all the way by a thick hedge of 
may, at the foot of which ran a ditch ; inside 
this again was a width of grass, such as is 
found in many old country roads, originally 
intended for horse-riders, but now overgrown 
with brambles ; these are most likely spots 
for low-built nests, Outside were meadows 
