56 Oxford: Spring and Early Summer. 



the same colour ; while the back of the lesser 

 bird is darkish or grayish brown. Secondly, the 

 head of the lesser Whitethroat is of a much 

 darker bluish-gray tint. But much the best point 

 of distinction in the breeding season is in the 

 song. As I have said, the larger bird warbles ; 

 but the lesser one, after a little preliminary so- 

 liloquy in an under-tone, bursts out into a suc- 

 cession of high notes, all of exactly the same 

 pitch. It took me some time to find out who 

 was the performer of this music which I heard so 

 constantly in the hedges, for the bird is very 

 restless and very modest. When I caught sight 

 of him he would not stop to be examined closely. 

 One day however he was kind enough to alight 

 for a moment in a poplar close by me, and as I 

 watched him in the loosely-leaved branches, he 

 poured out the song, and duly got the credit 

 for it. 



We are now close to our old winter-station on 

 the bridge over the mill-stream, and leaning over 

 it once more on the upper side, we shall hear, 

 if not see, both the remaining species of the 

 warblers that Oxford has to show us. They are 



