DARTFORD-WARBLER 45 



appearance of their first adult feathers, and continued singing till 

 October, frequently for hours together. "The notes were entirely 

 native, consisting of considerable variety delivered in a hurried 

 manner and in a much lower tone than I have heard the old birds in 

 their natural haunts. This song is different from anything of the kind 

 I ever heard, but in part resembles most that of the stonechat." l 



Seebohm describes his first acquaintance with the Dartford- 

 warbler as follows : " At Biarritz I found them frequenting the reeds 

 on the banks of a small lake. The first sight I had of one was that of 

 a little dark bird with a fan-like tail, suddenly appearing amongst the 

 reeds, crossing a small patch where they had been cut down, and as 

 suddenly and silently disappearing amongst the reeds on the opposite 

 side. The note was so musical that for a moment one might imagine 

 that a nightingale was beginning to strike up a tune. Now and then 

 we saw the bird appear for a moment above the reeds as if thrown up 

 by a battledore, but it dropped down again and disappeared as 

 suddenly." 



When in the courting attitude the male spreads out his long 

 dark fan-like tail so that the white tips and outer margins of the 

 two exterior feathers are brought into view, the throat feathers are 

 puffed out and appear then much brighter. " During those displays 

 to the female, the male constantly trails the outspread tail and half- 

 spread wings along a low bush or across tangled grass uttering all the 

 time a low sweet song. This trailing of the tail is more noticeable 

 perhaps in the Dartford-warbler, because as a rule he carries his 

 graceful appendage at ' half cock,' much in the same way that the 

 wren holds his apology for a tail." 3 



The nest is usually placed about eighteen inches from the ground, 

 either amongst gorse-bushes or heather. Mr. Kearton says " I have 

 seen several specimens built in rough heather, and my friend, Mr. 

 Howard Bentham, who has given the species a great deal of atten- 

 tion, and has probably found more nests than any other man in the 



1 Dictionary of British Birds. 2 British Birds, Seebohin. 3 E. Hart (in litt.). 



