CURRUCA HORTENSIS. 307 



part of the time it stays with us, which is short, as it leaves in 

 August." It is rare about St Andrews, and so like several of 

 our garden frequenters that unless closely watched can scarcely 

 be distinguished — for it is plainly dressed — the general colour 

 being light greyish-brown. It lives chiefly on fruits and insects. 

 Like the fly-catcher, it takes its stand on a stake, darts after the 

 fly, and returns to its post. Montagu says, " It was first dis- 

 covered in Lancashire, and sent from thence to Dr Latham by 

 Sir Ashton Lever ; " but very rare in Scotland. Not long after 

 this, writing from West Lothian, Mr Duncan says he saw it there 

 " frequenting an underwood plantation, where it warbled, with 

 its peculiar mellowness and sweetness combined, its song as it 

 threaded its way round the trunks of the trees through the 

 brakes and bushes of the copse." I am convinced it is more 

 widely dispersed than is supposed ; but as there is nothing in 

 plumage to distinguish it — its habits retiring — it may be flitting 

 about our gardens and copses unnoticed, and its song mistaken 

 for the blackcap's or other birds. Indeed, rare birds in the 

 brake, like rare fishes in the bay, are not always found. Many 

 rare birds may be winding their way in thickets, or creeping 

 amongst nettles close beside us ; yet, like their nests, remain 

 unseen, for their mission is to live retired and rear their young 

 unobserved — not to obtrude themselves before man that he may 

 write ostentatious books about them. For as Gray truly says — 



" Full many a gem of purest ray serene 



The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear ; 

 Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, 

 And waste its sweetness on the desert air." 



I found one of their nests amongst high nettles at the side 

 of a hedge at Abbey Park. It is more flimsy than the blackcap's, 

 more like the whitethroat's. Eggs four or five, about the size 

 of the hedgesparrow's ; a little less that the blackcap's, but like 

 them in colour ; some of them pinker than the robin's, others 

 mottled like the chaffinch's. The nest is in low bushes or 

 undergrowth, amongst brambles, nettles, or tares — often on the 

 ground amongst rank grass — on a row of pease-sticks in a garden 

 to tares in an open field. The bird is 6 inches long by 9 in 

 extent of wings. Colour, light greyish brown above, light 

 greyish-white below ; iris, hazel. 



