SONG OF THE WHITETHROAT 161 



stances. Aplin describes the song of the greater 

 whitethroat as ' rather harsh and chattering,' the 

 bird ' often mounting in the air to deliver it on 

 the wing ' ; that of the lesser whitethroat as 

 ' curious/ consisting * of a preliminary subdued 

 warble, followed by a succession of high-pitched 

 notes all in the same pitch.' 



Although these birds cannot be called shy, it is 

 often a difficult matter to procure a good view of 

 them by reason of their restlessness and habit of 

 keeping to the hedgerows always a little in 

 advance of their would-be observer, with whom 

 they appear to invite a game of hide-and-seek, 

 reserving all the hiding part of the performance 

 to themselves. They are happy, unobtrusive little 

 birds, amusing themselves and enjoying life in 

 their own quiet way, neither courting nor, when 

 the trees and hedgerows are bare of leaves, shun- 

 ning observation. The whitethroat, like many 

 other birds, raises the feathers of its head when 

 singing, thereby presenting the appearance of 

 a crest. It is, as I have observed, migratory, 

 arriving here about the end of April 'or the 

 beginning of May, and remaining with us until 

 September. 



The garden warbler is somewhat larger than the 

 greater whitethroat, viz., slightly under six inches 

 in length. At first sight the plumage of this bird 

 gives the impression of being brown above and 

 pale gray below, but a nearer inspection reveals a 

 strong tinge of olive pervading the brown, the 



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