218 JOTTINGS ABOUT BIRDS. 



the same abundance of this species in autumn, but 

 not to such a marked extent. The Whitethroat 

 is also common enough in the lanes, his garrulous 

 song and scolding call-notes being one of the most 

 familiar sounds of the hedgerows. Here, also, the 

 rare and local Cirl Bunting chants his simple song 

 from the elm-trees. He is more of a tree-haunting 

 bird than his cousin, the Yellow Bunting, and his 

 little song wants the prolonged final note which 

 is so characteristic of that of the commoner species. 

 There is an unusual interest attaching to the Cirl 

 Bunting, for it was in Devonshire that Colonel 

 Montagu ninety-three years ago made the discovery 

 that it was a British bird, and here amongst the 

 fields and hedgerows collected the information con- 

 cerning this species that enabled him to give to 

 the world so full and so correct an account of its 

 life- history. 



Here also in these lanes the Chiffchaff, first of 

 all the Warbler band to reach us from Africa in 

 spring, sits and chants his monotonous music all 

 the livelong day. Occasionally, so mild is the 

 climate of the south-west peninsula, a few ChifTchaffs 

 remain the winter through ; and by the beginning 

 of March the little brown singers begin to appear 

 with almost unfailing regularity, quite from three 



