300 SYLVIAD^E. 



" A male specimen of this fine Warbler was shot, three 

 or four miles west of Newcastle, near the village of Swal- 

 well, by Mr. Thomas Robson of that place, on the 28th 

 of last May. The attention of this gentleman, who is 

 perfectly familiar with the song of all our summer visi- 

 tants, was arrested by a note which he had not before 

 heard : and after some search he succeeded in getting a 

 sight of the bird. It was concealed in the thickest part 

 of a garden hedge close to an extensive mill-dam, which 

 is bordered with willows, reeds, and other aquatic plants. 

 It would scarcely leave its retreat, and when it did so 

 never flew far, and always kept close to the herbage. Its 

 habits resembled those of the Reed Warbler, being con- 

 tinually in motion, occasionally hanging with the body 

 downwards, or clinging to the branches and stretching 

 forwards to take its prey. 



"Its song was powerful, and resembled that of the 

 Black Ouzel, but was occasionally interrupted with the 

 harsh croaking note common to many of the Warblers, 

 and at intervals it uttered a single shrill cry. 



"The specimen was very fat, and when opened, the 

 stomach contained small beetles and flies. 



" From the nature of the locality, and from the time of 

 year when captured, there can be little doubt that this 

 bird was breeding in the neighbourhood, and I have some 

 reason for believing that the nidification of this species 

 has occurred in another part of England. I have had in 

 my possession for nearly two years an egg taken by a 

 friend of mine in Northamptonshire, which agrees in every 

 respect with Thienemann's figure and description of the 

 egg of Sylvia turdo'ides ; and now, since the capture of 

 the bird in Britain, it is impossible to doubt that this egg 

 belongs to that species. It would therefore appear pro- 

 bable that this delightful songster, the largest of the Euro- 

 pean Warblers, may be a regular summer visitant to our 



