THE GARDEN WARBLER 
SYLVIA HORTENSIS 
Loca names in surrounding counties : 
Stratus IN British Avirauna: A somewhat local and 
capricious summer visitor, but very generally distributed ; 
rarest in the south-west of England, in Wales, parts of 
Scotland, and in Ireland. 
RapiaL DistriBUTION WITHIN FIFTEEN MILES OF ST. 
Paut’s: The Garden Warbler isa fairly common summer 
visitor to suitable places in the Metropolitan area, but its 
skulking habits cause it very frequently to be overlooked. 
It is very possible that this Warbler breeds locally within 
the five-mile radius, in which it is a tolerably frequent 
visitor to many gardens and some of the parks during 
spring and autumn migration. It is said to breed at 
Dulwich and Ranelagh. Beyond this boundary it be- 
comes, of course, a more regular visitor, and it may be 
traced through most suitable neighbourhoods from Wim- 
bledon and Richmond, ‘Twickenham, Kew, Osterley, 
Hanwell, Wembley, Willesden, Barnet, Waltham, 
Beckenham, Norwood, Mitcham, Merton, and Kingston. 
In the remoter suburbs I have evidence of its regular 
occurrence in the districts of Croydon, the Kentish Crays, 
Banstead, Cheam, Epsom, Bushey, ‘Teddington, Houns- 
low, Southall, Harrow, Waltham, Epping, Wanstead, 
and Rainham. ‘These localities are only indicative of the 
general distribution of the species ; it occurs in a great 
many others, no doubt, but sufficient has been said to 
trace its distribution within the fifteen-mile limit. 
Considering the number of large gardens, nurseries, 
orchards, and shrubberies in the suburbs of London, the 
wonder is that the Garden Warbler is so local and com- 
paratively scarce. It is more than possible that the bird, 
owing to its secretive, unobtrusive habits, escapes notice 
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