ICTERINE WARBLER. 65 



short Continental tour with my boy. Strolling into the 

 Bosch, as the public park at the Hague is named, and on 

 the look-out for birds, we heard a bird begin to sing high 

 up in one of the tall trees near a little brook or pond. 

 The song was new to us both, and we listened atten- 

 tively ; at first it sounded to me somewhat like that of 

 the Thrush, and I thought that perhaps it might be the 

 song of the Redwing ; but after a few preliminary 

 phrases, and two or three somewhat harsh notes, it 

 burst into the most delightful bird song I have ever 

 heard. This latter had the true Nightingale ring, and 

 yet the bird seemed to possess even greater powers of 

 execution than his famed English rival. With extra- 

 ordinary brilliancy and rapidity he ran up and down 

 the scales, and concluded all too soon for his delighted 

 auditory. As he ceased, we heard another fine song, 

 though much inferior to that to which we had been 

 listening, and which proceeded, as we believed, from a 

 Great Reed Warbler on the banks of the stream close 

 by. Our knowledge of Dutch being of a very limited 

 nature, we were unable to ascertain the name of this 

 great artist at the time, called, I believe, by the Hollan- 

 ders, " geelborstje ; " nor did I identify it until I read 

 Dresser's description of the song of the Icterine W T arbler. 

 He quotes Mr. Collett, who, writing of its occurrence in 

 Norway, says : " It is the very best of our songsters ; its 

 song not a little resembles that of the Nightingale ; but 

 one finds in it again the ditty of the Thrush." This 

 description seems to me to be true to the life. The cry 

 of the bird when its nest is approached is said to 

 resemble the syllables "pi-ti-u-y" a very significant 

 cry indeed. 



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