34 THE WARBLERS 



season even such harsh-voiced birds as shrikes and hawks can only 

 be grasped by those who are willing to spend hours and days watching 

 the intimate life of these elusive beings. 



The whitethroat's ordinary call-note is an angry " churr," which in- 

 variably greets the intruder who approaches too near its home. When 

 the young are hatched this changes to an anxious " teck, teck" and both 

 parents will flutter round and round, feigning injury, thus endeavour- 

 ing to distract attention, a habit common to all these warblers when 

 danger threatens the nestlings. 



The lesser-whitethroat's alarm-note is very much like that of the 

 whitethroat, and consists of a rapid clicking sound uttered several times 

 in succession when the bird is very anxious for the safety of its brood. 

 The garden-warbler gives vent to a plaintive note, " bit, bit, bit," if the 

 nest is disturbed, which changes to an angry " teck " varied by a low, 

 vibrating "churr," similar to the sound produced by lightly drawing 

 the finger over a stringed instrument ; the throat feathers are puffed 

 out, and the bird's whole manner shows alarm and agitation. The 

 young, when only a few days old, utter a faint " mew" which gradually 

 changes to "teck" as they increase in strength. The adult garden- 

 warbler will also feign being wounded when the young are threatened. 

 The alarm-note of the blackcap is a bold " tack, tack" and it otherwise 

 expresses anxiety in much the same way as the garden-warbler. 



None of these birds have any particularly brilliant colours which 

 can be said to catch the feminine eye and entangle her soul ; but the 

 attitudes assumed by the males are often very beautiful, and whatever 

 special attractions each may possess are used to their full advantage. 

 The sable crest of the blackcap is at all times expressive of emotion. 

 The whitethroat will puff out the silvery white feathers of his throat, 

 and display them as much as possible. In the case of all four species 

 the males' courting attitude consists mainly in spreading out each and 

 every feather of the wings and tail, sometimes drooping them, or trailing 

 them along the ground, thus making the best of whatever personal 

 attractions each one may possess. Sometimes they throw themselves 



