158 BRITISH LAND BIRDS. 



excitement. In trilling, it especially excels, sur- 

 passing every other songster of the grove in the 

 rapidity and clearness of the swells and cadences 

 which it gives to the same trill. It has a wild- 

 ness and witchery in its strain, that seems to 

 partake of the nature of genius. Occasionally it- 

 adopts the notes of other birds, but transposes 

 them into a lower, or minor key ; finishing them 

 off with a sort of wild variation of its own. The 

 nest is near the ground, generally in a bush ; and 

 the male takes his turn in sitting on the eggs, and, 

 seemingly, is so delighted with his task, that he 

 frequently sings while sitting; thus leading, not 

 unseldom, to the discovery of the carefully con- 

 cealed nest. The food of these birds is insects 

 and caterpillars, and when the supply of them 

 is exhausted, it takes to the fruit, especially rasp- 

 berries and red currants. Bechstein says that a 

 young male bird which he kept during the winter 

 in his hot-house, being accustomed to receive a 

 meal-worm whenever he entered, became so ac- 

 customed to this, that when he saw him come, he 

 immediately flew to the jar where the worms were 

 kept, and, in case the signal was not attended to, 

 he would fly, and pass close under his master's 

 nose, and then resume his post; this he repeated, 

 sometimes even striking his wings against him, 

 until his wishes and impatience were gratified. 



