THE WHITETHROAT 
SYLVIA CINEREA 
LocaL names in surrounding counties: ‘‘ Hayjack,” 
“* Haychat ”’ (Essex). 
Status IN British Avirauna: A common and widely 
distributed summer visitor. 
RapiAL DisTRIBUTION WITHIN FIFTEEN MILES OF ST. 
Paut’s: Although the Whitethroat cannot be regarded 
as a visitor to the inner portions of the Metropolitan 
area, there are many places in the suburbs where it is 
fairly common during the summer. I have never met 
with this species in any of the strictly urban parks and 
pleasure-grounds, though there are some in which it 
might be reasonably expected, as, for instance, in the 
Botanical Gardens ; on the other hand, I may mention 
Dulwich and Wimbledon as districts it regularly fre- 
quents. Regarding the more outlying areas, however, 
there are many spots still sufficiently rural to afford it a 
suitable summer residence. It may be noticed in many 
parts of Middlesex—Park Royal, Wembley, Harrow, 
Kingsbury, Hendon, and so forth; whilst in Essex it 
regularly visits the Epping district, Wanstead, and Dagen- 
ham. In Kent it has many haunts about the Crays and 
elsewhere ; whilst Surrey, of course, affords it others in 
many scattered localities well within the fifteen-mile 
radius—Kew, Richmond, and so on. I have heard of 
this species as a visitor to large gardens in the autumn 
much nearer the city, where a plentiful crop of fruit 
has, of course, been the chief attraction. 
If there are Whitethroats in a locality the fact can 
scarcely be overlooked by any one familiar with the species. 
The bird is particularly partial to hedges, and has a 
habit of mounting to the top of them to sing, flitting 
along before the observer, hovering in the air, or con- 
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