62 A KENTISH BIRD. 



towards it, and it was called Sylvia, it would fly up and perch on the 

 finger or on the handle of the spoon, and drink the milk ; but it 

 never got so tame as some others, neither was it so expert in catching 

 flies. Perhaps the reason of this was, it became so very fat in eating 

 so much bruised hempseed and bread, and milk and bread, that it 

 cared but little for any other food. These birds are very plentiful 

 some seasons, flying about from tree to tree, and singing their pretty 

 soft note, which is not unlike the song of the Kedbonnet, but not so 

 loud. Whenever any plants are infested with any kind of aphis, 

 there the Willow Wrens are almost certain to be, often quarrelling 

 and flying after one another ; and they will even attack other birds 

 which are much larger than themselves. 



If we do not greatly mistake, we have heard this little 

 warbler giving utterance to its low sweet, although hurried 

 and desultory song, amid the reeds of the ditches which 

 intersect the marsh lands, near the coast of the Isle of 

 Thanet, in Kent, on a summer's evening of July 1862. 

 This was not far from the ancient church of Reculvers, 

 whose twin towers, which mariners call ' The Sisters,' form 

 a conspicuous landmark, and speak to us of the old days of 

 Roman conquest, and of Saxon rule, of which our pretty 

 Reedling, singing away among the sedges, had little thought 

 or care. We strove to catch a glimpse of the songster, but 

 he continually moved from spot to spot, still keeping him- 

 self closely concealed ; but we have no doubt that it was 

 the bird here described. 



