72 The Garden Warbler. 



whole attention. When frightened this species scolds somewhat after the fashion 

 of a Whitethroat, and, if flushed from its nest, it remains close by hissing 

 angrily ; its call-note is said to be a repetition of the word tac or tec harshly 

 uttered ; but it may be questioned whether this is really the call to its mate ; it 

 seems more probable that it is merely a querulous observation, such as many of 

 these Warblers indulge in at the approach of man : I am satisfied that its call is 

 a soft whistle. 



In the autumn of 1894, I purchased a male Blackcap, which was procured 

 for me by Mr. E. P. Staines, who kindly took the trouble to "meat it off"* for 

 me. I turned it out into the same aviary with my Redstart and Wagtails, where 

 it soon made itself at home ; it used generally to roost upon a nail which had 

 been driven into the wall, in the first instance, to support a log-nest. This bird 

 in due course became fairly tame ; it was tolerably quick at seizing spiders or 

 mealworms and even earwigs, when these were thrown into the aviary. In the 

 spring it began to record its song on one or two occasions, but I never heard it 

 sing out. Eventually a Rosa's Parrakeet bit one of its wings through, and a 

 week later it died. 



Family— TURDID^. Sub/ami/y—SYL VII N^. 



The Garden Warbler. 



Sylvia horknsis, Bechst. 



MORE delicate than the Blackcap, the Garden Warbler does not arrive in 

 this country until early in May, and towards the end of September it 

 departs on its autumn migration. This species breeds locally throughout 

 Europe, from about 70° N. in Norway, and 65° N. in Finland and Russia, to the 



* A term applied to the process by which a wiUl-caught bird is induced to feed upon a soft mixture 

 Many aviculturists make the mistake of using finely chopped raw meat mixed with bread-crumbs for this 

 purpose, hence the term has arisen. 



