240 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



One of my neighbours, an intelligent and observing man, in- 

 forms me that, in the beginning of May, and about ten minutes 



blackcap and whitethroat fauvets, between which it is in some degree intermediate, though 

 mailer, and more activ in its habits, than either. It is an elegant little bird, arriring generally 

 towards the cloe of the month of April, and departing in September, though a few stragglers are 

 often met with for some weeks afterwards. This species has most erroneously been described to 

 keep wholly to the closest underwood, whereas it passes its time chiefly upon trees, often at a 

 considerable height from the ground, and is nowhere found but in their immediate vicinity. It is 

 a bird wonderfully little known, considering its abundance, and also the familiarity of its habits, 

 the general character of its haunts much resembling those of its musical congener th blackcap. 

 It is particularly common about little cottage gardens, and indeed everywhere affects gardens and 

 neighbourhoods, often building in ornamental shrubs close to the house. It is also plentiful 

 about tall and thick hawthorn hedges, but is never found (like the whitethroat) in open and ex- 

 posed places, nor does it ever mount singing into the air (like that species), though its notes may 

 be occasionally heard, as it flutters, in a vacillating manner, from tree to tree. Its song is very 

 low and weak, and may be easily recognised by the frequent recurrence of a note like ip, p, sip i 

 but, after warbling in this strain continuously for a few seconds, it always terminates with a loud 

 and shrill shivering cry, which is monotonous- and unplcasing, though analogous to the lively 

 whistle of the blackcap. Not unfrequently it emits this cry without any previous warble, and it 

 utters also the same check as its congeners, and sometime! also a peculiar inward rolling note, which 

 it has in common with the furzelin, or Dartford warbler, to which species it is allied (and immedi- 

 ately connected by means of an exotic congener), and which at least in cpnfinement it consider- 

 ably resembles in its manners, both these little birds sometimes climbing up the wires of their 

 cage in a manner that is not observable in the other fauvets. An individual I formerly kept in 

 captivity, in a spacious cage, was exceedingly active in its habits, sometimes darting about to 

 rapidly that the eye could scarcely follow ; and it used frequently, and many times in succession, 

 to perform quick somersets in the air, throwing itself over backwards, a habit which I have 

 noticed in others of the same species in a captive state. It is a determined fruit-eater in the 

 season, hardly inferior in this respect to the blackcap, and in the spring is very expert in the 

 capture of winged insects, though it never leaves its perch in order to seize them, but snaps at 

 them the moment they are within reach. It also feeds a good deal, like the pettychaps genus, 

 upon small caterpillars, and like them is a great destroyer of aphides. It also resembles them in 

 the extreme pugnacity of its disposition, which I have observed, not only in confinement, but in 

 the wild state, a quality in which it much differs from its British congeners. The male and 

 female are quite alike in plumage, and some of the older individuals have the irides of a beautiful 

 and conspicuous pearly white, which adds much to the handsomeness of their appearance ; many 

 have also a delicate blush on their under parts, which is likewise frequently observable in the 

 male whitethroat. The nest is smaller than that of the last-mentioned species, and is always 

 lined with fibrous rootlets ; the eggs, four or five in number, are also of less size than those of that 

 bird, but have the markings more defined, and larger. 



1 have been thus diffuse in describing this pretty little species, because I have never yet met 

 with a good history of it. Mr. White imagined it to have been the " pettychaps," by which terra 

 he evidently intended the garden fauvet, which was so named by the earlier naturalists. That 

 the garden fauvet (ficedula hortensis) should have entirely escaped his observation, I look upon as 

 a very singular fact, as the species actually abounds in Selborne parish, and is one of the very 

 finest of our vernal songsters. He probably confused its lay with that of the blackcap. It is 

 closely allied to the species just mentioned, so much so that an albino of either could scarcely be 

 distinguished ; but in the hand it may be readily told by its more uniform olive colour, and the 

 absence of the black (or, in the female, rust-colour) upon the crown. The sexes are very much 

 alike; and, for the information of those who may wish to keep one in confinement, I may state 

 that the only difference I could ever perceive between them, consisted in the more rufous tint of 

 the under surface of the wing in the cock bird. Its melody resembles somewhat the continuous 

 note of the blackcap, but is softer, much deeper, and more flute-like in its tone, approaching to 

 the mellifluous warbleof the blackbird. As it proceeds, it increases gradually in spirit and loud- 

 ness, and often ends with a rich and dulcet melodious flourish, though never so clear and loud as 

 the lively, spirit-stirring music of its congener the blackcap. I have noticed it to sing with great 

 spirit against a nightingale, determined not to be outdone; and indeed the peculiar sweetness of 

 its lay must ever render it a prime favourite with those who love to listen to the wild music of the 

 groves. Us habits are exactly similar to those of the blackcap, which it also resembles in it. 



