94 The Yellow- Browed Warbler. 



in the gardens between the houses of the upper plateau (Oberland). It appears to 

 have a special preference for Sa/ix smithiania, for which reason I always cultivate 

 this species in my garden. It is hardly ever seen on 5. caprea or on elders, but 

 likes high thorns and the greater maples (Acer pseudo-plataniis). In its manner of 

 hopping through the branches of these tree-like bushes and garden-shrubs it 

 exactly resembles the Chiffchaff and Willow Wren. In doing so, it does not, 

 however, make use of its wings for propelling itself, as the two last-named 

 species do incessantly, even when they do not require their wings for the purpose 

 of fluttering from one branch to another ; nor does this bird hop about in the 

 unsteady, and to all appearance, aimless manner of the latter birds, but progresses 

 calmly and gradually from the lower branches to the top of the tree or bush." 



Mr. F. W. Frohawk writes: — "On the ist or and of October, 1895, at 10 

 a.m., on one of those beautiful summer-like days we had during the last week of 

 September and first week of October, during our stay at West Buckland, S. Devon, 

 my wife (who is well acquainted with most of our native birds) told me she had 

 just seen, in the hedge surrounding the garden at the back of the cottage, some 

 little birds which were singing and were new to her, and was sure they were 

 something rare. I at once went to the spot and immediately heard the song of 

 a bird which was unlike anything I knew, and directly afterwards saw a small 

 Warbler hopping from one twig to another in the hedge and taking short flights 

 of a few feet from one part of the hedge to another, generally alighting about 

 half way up, and then hopping to the top, and singing its little song repeatedly. 

 A short distance (only a few yards) away another was singing, and behaving in 

 the same way, and two others with precisely the same actions, but not singing, 

 were with them. All four were of the same species: they appeared to be as nearly 

 as possible, intermediate between a Gold-crest and Willow Warbler, so far as I 

 could make out the colouring: this was rather difficult to do, on account of viewing 

 the birds against the sky, as the hedge was on rather a high bank and they kept 

 on the outer side of the hedge. They were olive-greyish-green, or rather olive- 

 greenish- grey, with under parts lighter and a distinct pale stripe running from the 

 beak over the eye and beyond it; the wings (basal half) appeared covered by the 

 side and flank feathers. They reminded me of the Gold-crest, but were not so 

 small or so fluffy, they appeared rather more trim in shape, but more plump in 

 proportion than the Willow Warbler. The song was well in keeping with the 

 little birds and I found no difficulty in noting it, as I repeated it time after time 

 with the birds (which appeared very tame) and by many repetitious I was satisfied 

 I hit it off accurately : this enabled my wife to set it to music, which will convey 

 the character of the bird's simple, but merry and pleasing little song. 



