134 WHITE-THROAT. 



to be truly arboreal and sylvan birds, shy and 

 retired in their habits, and possessing a song of 

 considerable compass and melody. That we are 

 now about to describe, though true to the charac- 

 ters in form, begins to vary in that of its habits : 

 it is much less shy, and more active and lively, 

 is more incessant in uttering the alarm note, 

 while what may be called the song is not varied, 

 and is held in little estimation for sweetness. It 

 is also a species much more abundant, and is 

 very commonly distributed over all parts of the 

 country, frequenting hedges, whin covers, thickets 

 of brushwood, the outskirts of plantations, and 

 the garden ; but the older and more retired woods, 

 and a country road or lane can scarcely be tra- 

 velled during the early part of summer, without 

 being enlivened by this prett}' warbler, flitting 

 out from the hedge or brushwood, uttering its 

 few notes of alarm or song with erected crest,* 

 and again for a short space concealing itself. 

 At other times the song is uttered during a short 

 and peculiar flight above its retreat, and which 

 being completed, it descends, hides, and continues 

 to utter a few low irregular notes in cover. The 

 nest is also of the same careless structure with 

 those of the two preceding ; indeed, this manner 

 of building seems, to a certain extent, charac- 

 teristic of all the currucce with which we are 



* This is a habit common in several species. The 

 Blackcap does it constantly when flying, particularly when 

 uttering its call note, and is a conspicuous ornament from 

 its deep colour in the male. 



