50 BIRDS BROWN ABOVE AND WHITE BELOW. 



while feeding on the ground, the habit of drawing 

 themselves up with closely dressed plumage, the 

 frequent bobbings of head and flirtings of tail, are 

 characteristic of Redbreast and Nightingale alike. 

 The song of the Nightingale, too, is of the same 

 quality as the purer notes of the Redbreast, but is 

 given roundly and without hesitancy. Often it 

 ends with a clicking note, and another distinctive 

 note is one that is held on without modulation, 

 but is delivered crescendo. The song ceases after 

 the young are hatched in June. The nest is placed 

 on the ground, frequently among the tangled growth 

 and litter of old leaves at the bottom of a woodside 

 hedge. When disturbed in their nesting quarters, the 

 old birds flit from bough to bough about the intruder, 

 uttering at one time a low, churring, objurgatory 

 note ; at another a note of a peculiarly ' yearning ' 

 quality. 



COMMON WHITETHROAT 5 inches; head ash-gray; 



throat white, notably pure. Although this bird also 



uses a low, churring note, it may be distinguished by its 



rambling, jerky, jabbering song. 

 WOOD-WREN 5J inches ; upper parts yellowish-green ; 



under parts white, yellow on throat ; yellow eyebrow. 



Call, ' Tui ! ' complaining note, ' D6r ! ' Song ends with 



close, shivering trill. 

 WILLOW-WREN 5 inches ; upper parts olive-green ; 



under parts white, with yellow tinge. Call, ' Tni ! ' 



Song of about fourteen equally spaced notes, gradually 



diminishing in pitch and volume. 



COMMON WHITETHROAT. Plate 25. Length, 

 5i inches. Head ashy-gray ; upper parts ruddy- 

 brown ; wings darker, with chestnut edges in some of 



