WOOD WARBLER. 149 



the genus Sylvia, are all somewhat alike in form 

 and plumage, but are at once easily recognizable 

 to the ornithologist by their notes and habits. 

 The one we are about to describe is generally 

 distributed, though not very abundant in numbers, 

 but it is considered even more rare than it is in 

 reality, from its frequenting only aged woods, and 

 generally feeding among the high and thick foliage, 

 while the two following are found indiscriminately 

 in young plantations and coppice woods. The 

 Wood Warbler is a retired species, quietly seeking 

 its food, consisting of insects and larvae, among 

 the upper branches of the trees, and only occa- 

 sionally singing its low sibilouS note. When the 

 vicinity of the nest is approached, it ventures 

 nearer, and exhibits much anxiety, and constantly 

 utters a single louder alarm note. The nest is 

 placed on the ground, by the root of a tree or 

 bush, and often on a sloping bank, and is formed 

 nearly round, with a hole or opening outward ; it 

 is composed of moss, withered leaves, and dried 

 grasses, and is lined with hair or fine grass. The 

 eggs, six or seven in number, are rather round in 

 form, and are white, with purplish red spots. Jn 

 England the Wood Wren, or Warbler, is distri- 

 buted wherever the locality is suitable, stretching 

 at least to the middle districts of Scotland, in 

 apparently equal abundance. On the Continent 

 it is in like proportions, the numbers decreasing 

 northward ; and out of Europe we have it recor- 

 ded as appearing in Egypt and Asia. 



