DARTFOED WARBLERS 9 



latter, with its far sharper eyes, detects you first, 

 and in consequence sets up a cry of defiance. 

 Cast round sharply in the direction of the sound, 

 and you shall mark down your quarry perched 

 jauntily and pugnacious -looking, with crest erect 

 and throat-feathers puffed out, on a spike of gorse, 

 very frequently on the highest spike available, as 

 though to command the utmost range. He, how- 

 ever for it is usually the male which shows up in 

 this way, the female being far more retiring in 

 disposition is never a good sitter. On the con- 

 trary, he is a restless little chap, full of whims and 

 caprices. He must for ever be on the move, always 

 on the alert. First he flies off to another bush 

 fifteen yards away, and alights on its waving, pin- 

 cushion point, when he pauses only just long 

 enough to show you how well he can flick his 

 tail and shuffle his wings ; and he calls incessantly, 

 though never when on the wing. Then, perhaps, 

 after a second brief flight, he finds himself on a 

 peculiarly pointed spur of gorse, where his hold is 

 so slight that a gust of wind fairly catching him, 

 compels him to pivot clean round, when, with sadly 

 ruffled plumes, he takes to himself the style of 

 some villainously-stuffed specimen. His fan-like 

 tail is spread to its uttermost, and even now, as 

 nearly always, it is held fairly erect, though never 

 so erect as the Wren's ; but occasionally it lies 

 little higher than the upper line of the body, seldom 

 below that point. For two or three all too short 



