130 THE SMALLER BRITISH BIRDS. 



at Boxlcy Heath, near Dartford, in Kent, in the year 1773, and it 

 thence derived its English name. Dr. Latham, to whom its discovery 

 was communicated, made it known to Pennant, who described it in 

 his "British Zoology/' published in 1776. Since that time it has been 

 frequently met with on furzy commons in Kent, Surrey, Middlesex, 

 Devonshire, Sussex, Cornwall, Hampshire, Worcestershire, Leicestershire, 

 Staffordshire, and Norfolk. It appears to remain in this country 

 throughout the year, as Gould states that he has obtained specimens at 

 all seasons, and Rennie has seen it as early as the end of February. 



The Dartford Warbler is about the size of the Chiff Chaff, but it 

 is of slenderer build and has a much longer tail. In its habits it 

 is very shy and timid, concealing itself in the thickest furze on the 

 slightest alarm. Even in those places where it is most abundant it can 

 be rarely seen, unless driven from its retreats, as it sometimes is, by the 

 dogs engaged in rabbit or fox hunting; it then rises above the bushes 

 in a short jerky flight, but soon perches and conceals itself again. 



The song, which was heard by Rennie so early as the end of Feb- 

 ruary, is described as weak and shrill, but often repeated; it is uttered 

 while the bird is perched on the topmost twig of a bush, or hovering 

 above it in the manner of the Whitothroat and Whinchat. It is some- 

 times continued for half an hour at a time. The common note resembles 

 the syllables 'cha, cha, cha,' or 'tscha, tscha, tscha.' 



The nest, which is of slight and flimsy construction, is usually placed 

 in a furze bush, at a height of about two feet from the ground. It 

 is built of dry stalks of grass and pieces of furze, with sometimes a 

 small quantity of wool interwoven, and has a thin lining of finer grass. 

 The eggs are greenish white, speckled with olive brown and grey; 

 towards the larger end the markings run together and form a sort of 

 zone. Two broods appear to be reared in each season, the first early 

 in May, and the second about the end of July. 



The food of this Warbler consists principally of small insects, which 

 it frequently captures on the wing, making swift darts from the top of 

 a hedge or bush, and immediately returning to its station. 



The adult male is a little over five inches in length. The beak is 

 nearly black, particularly towards the point, the edges of the upper 

 mandible, and base of the lower reddish yellow. The head and neck 

 are greyish black; the throat and breast chesnut brown, and the under 

 surface of the body white. The back is blackish grey or brown tinged 

 with olive; the tail, which is wedge-shaped, is also blackish brown, 

 the feathers edged with pale brown. The legs and toes are pale reddish 

 brown, and the claws darker brown; the irides reddish yellow. The 

 female resembles the male, but has the tints lighter, and the throat 



