The Rufous Warbler. 105 



neither specially remarkable for bright colouring or vocal merit ; I should however 

 expect to find it just as difficult to accustom to a change of diet as the Willow- 

 Warbler. I am of opinion that the few examples of Fhylloscopus which, from time 

 to time, appear at our bird-shows are invariably hand-reared, although Swaysland 

 speaks of them as being easily tamed ; and of the present species he observes 

 (Cassell's Cage-Birds) " If allowed to fly about the room, its first thought is the 

 selection of a perch ; when it has satisfied itself on this point, it will show great 

 expertness in catching the flies from off the walls and ceiling, always returning to 

 its favourite perch to eat them." Possibly my own want of success in keeping 

 the Willow- Warbler may have been due to the fact that my birds were captured 

 in July ; for it has been asserted that, for some unexplained reason, Warblers 

 become more readily accustomed to captivity if caught on their arrival in this 

 country than just before or at the season of their departure. Not having captured 

 any Warblers in the spring months, I am quite unable to decide the point. 



The two following birds should not, I think, be admitted as British ; each of 

 them having only appeared as an accidental straggler on three occasions: — 



Family— TURD I D.^. Subfamily -5 ] Z VIIN.F. 



The Rufous Warbler. 



Action oalaclodcs, Temm. 



A SOUTH European species, of which the first example was shot near 

 Brighton by Mr. Swaysland, on September i6th, 1854 ; the second was 

 an imperfect .specimen obtained in Devonshire, on September 25th, 1859 '< 

 the third was also obtained in Devonshire, on October 12th, 1876. 



