374 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Whitethroat. For distinctions of Rtippell's Warbler see under that 

 species. 



Field -CHARACTERS. — ^Rather smaller than Whitethroat and under- 

 parts are purer white and lores and ear-coverts dark brown. Best 

 distinction in field, however, is absence of broad rufous edges to 

 secondaries. Frequents tangled hedges, thickets and gardens, 

 but is more retiring in habits than Common Whitethroat. Song, 

 a loud, rattling " sip, sip, sip," very like song of Cirl Bunting, some- 

 times but not always preluded by a low sweet warble only audible 

 at close quarters, and more rarely followed by a few babbling notes. 

 Notes expressing anger and anxiety are similar to those of last 

 species, a hoarse " curre " and a clicking " kek, kek, kek," respec- 

 tively. 



Breeding-habits. — Nests in thick hedges, bushes and shrubs, 

 generally between 2 and 5 ft. from ground. Nest. — Smaller than 

 Whitethroat 's and lacks the thick base, built of dry stalks and roots, 

 lined sometimes with roots only and sometimes freely with horsehair. 

 Eggs. — 4-6, rather sparingly and boldly marked, often in zone, 

 with sepia-brown and grey shell-marks on creamy-white ground. 

 Some sets very sparsely marked. Average of 100 eggs, 16.5x12.6 

 mm. Breeding-season. — From beginning of May, exceptionally at 

 end April, but usually towards mid-May. Incubation. — 10-13 

 days, probably averaging 11 days : male takes joart (E. L. Turner). 

 Apparently single brooded. 



Food. — Chiefly larvae and eggs of insects, especially larval forms of 

 moths ; also diptera, etc. Aphides largely eaten, and occasionally 

 small worms (Naumann). In summer and autumn cherries, 

 currants and berries of many kinds, including blackberries and 

 elderberries. L5aies records hard seeds in stomach. 



Distribution. — England. — Summer -resident. Generally distri- 

 buted, except in extreme south-west (where it nests in Somerset 

 and Devon, but is only a casual autumn-migrant to Cornwall, and 

 has occurred only once in Scilly Isles) and in north, being local in 

 Cumberland, Westmorland, Durham and Northumberland. Wales. 

 — Fairly well distributed in eastern parts, but rare or unknown 

 in coastal counties on west side. Scotland. — All nesting -records 

 doubtful, but those from Dumfries, Ross, and Stirling may possibly 

 be authentic, otherwise only known as a passage-migrant, rare 

 and occasional in Solway and Clyde areas, twice (once singing 

 June) west Inverness, but not known elsewhere on west side ; on 

 east coast seems fairly regular in smaU numbers on spring and 

 autumn-passage, having been observed for several years at Isle 

 of May (Forth), but on mainland very rarely recorded. Orkneys 

 small numbers in spring and autumn at Sule Skerry, Aaskerry 

 and Pentland Skerries ; Fair Isle common spring (April to June) 



