152 CHIFF-CHAFF WARBLER. 



decreases in numbers, reaching the Scottish bor- 

 der, but extending very short way beyond it ; we 

 have heard it once or twice of late years in our 

 own neighbourhood, but have no trace of it 

 beyond the Firth of Forth. In Ireland it 

 occurs, though not so numerously as the last.* 

 Norway is the most northerly European station 

 we know of, f and Mr Strickland observed 

 it at Smyrna. The habits are very similar to 

 those of the last, and so are the situations in 

 which it is most frequently found. The call note 

 is constantly repeated while searching for its food, 

 and it has another low anxious note when the nest 

 is approached. It has been observed so early as 

 February and March, and at this time finds sus- 

 tenance from the insects which attack the blossom 

 buds of trees, particularly those of the orchard. 

 Its nest is placed on the ground, or a short way 

 above it, in some tuft or bush as instanced by Mr 

 Hewitson, and is even a larger ball-shaped fabric 

 than those we have yet noticed, warm and closely 

 lined with feathers. The eggs are smaller, but 

 of similar shape and colours. 



Upper parts oil green, tinged with gray ; the 

 eye streak faint and undefined ; wings and tail 

 hair brown, edged with yellowish white ; the 

 under parts pale primrose yellow, shading into 

 the oil green on the sides of the neck, and without 

 any deeper tint on the breast ; under wing coverts 

 rich sulphur yellow ; legs deep blackish brown ; 



* Thompson. t Hewitson. 



