so BRITISH BIRDS WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



The food of the Barred Warbler does not materially differ from that of most 

 other species of Sylvia; it consists largely of insects, with the addition of fruit 

 and berries as soon as these are ripe ; it sometimes captures winged insects in the 

 air after the manner of its congeners. 



The nest is usually placed in a thorn-bush in thick cover, and as a rule very 

 low down ; but one instance is recorded of its being built among the topmost twigs 

 of a birch-tree at a height of twenty-five feet above the ground. It is a firmly 

 built and somewhat bulky structure, roughly formed externally of bents and roots 

 intermingled with plant stalks and compacted with spiders' cocoons or vegetable 

 down ; the inside is neatly formed, deep and beautifully rounded, the lining con- 

 sisting of fine rootlets, horsehairs, and sometimes cobwebs. 



The eggs vary from four to six in number, but five is the usual clutch : they 

 are dull buifish white marbled with grey, and are not unlike those of the Grey 

 Wagtail, excepting that they are larger ; sometimes, however, they are marbled 

 with brown with underlying grey spots ; the colouring being massed especially on 

 the larger end. 



Speaking of the song of this species, Herr Mathias Rausch, in the " Gefiederte 

 Welt" for July 3Oth, 1891, observes that "it is just as beautiful and rich in 

 charming melodies as that of the Garden Warbler, for the most part flute-like and 

 full-toned, frequently indeed intermixed with somewhat rough guttural sounds, yet 

 withal distinctly powerful and also more or less intermingled with snatches from 

 the song of other birds. Also the song of this bird has a swing peculiar to it, 

 which characterizes the species as an original songster." 



" Moreover if reared by hand or trapped when young, Barred Warblers, taught 

 by good cage-birds, certainly often become admirable imitators of the song of other 

 birds ; but, in the case of old wild-caught examples, this faculty is much less 

 perceptible, and for this reason it is hardly fair to reckon them plagiarists." 



Lord Lilford (Coloured figures of Birds of the British Islands) evidently has 

 not so high an opinion of the Barred Warbler's vocal attainments ; he says : " I 

 have three of this species caged at this time of writing ; in attitude, song, and 

 general demeanour they very much resemble our Lesser Whitethroat, but are the 

 least restless of any Warblers that 1 1 have ever kept in captivity." An adult which 

 lived for some months in the possession of Rev. H. A. Macpherson was a very 

 shy but active bird. 



Dresser, in his " Birds of Europe," says :- " It is never seen sitting still, but 

 appears always moving about. If disturbed, or it sees anything strange, it raises 

 the feathers of its head, jerks its tail, and utters a harsh note. It creeps about 

 amongst the bushes, hopping about from twig to twig without using its wings. 



