T /o Midland Village : Railway and Woodland. 



characteristic streak over the eye all plainly 

 visible as he sat facing me ; and when he kindly 

 turned his tail to me and preened his feathers, 

 I could see the greenish-brown back, and note 

 the unusual length of wing. Several times, when 

 close to me, he gave utterance to that curious 

 ' shivering ' sibilation (to use Gilbert White's apt 

 word), his bill opening wide to give the last shake, 

 his head lifted upwards, the long wings quivering 

 slightly, and the whole body vibrating under the 

 effort. One thing more w T as needed a visible 

 proof that the long-drawn plaintive notes were 

 his notes too, and this I had the pleasure of 

 securing by a little more patience. But when 

 my little warbler uttered these notes, his bill was 

 not opened wide, nor did his frame vibrate with 

 any apparent effort ; they seemed rather an inward 

 soliloquy or a secret signal (as indeed they were), 

 and always ended up with a short note and a 

 sudden closing of the bill, as if to say, " All's right, 

 that's well over." 



Then behind me I heard the undoubted double 

 call-note of a warbler, which probably I myself 

 caused the little bird's wife to utter, trespassing 



