Warblers and Field Mice 179 



(Telor-yr-ardd, or Y-ffigysog) is not infrequent. The Black- 

 cap Warbler ( Telor penddu) is seldom distinguished from the 

 last, their notes being very similar ; it is always less 

 numerous, but still not at all rare in , sequestered spots, 

 and in autumn is attracted to the village gardens to feast 

 on red and black currants. 



The Chiffchaff was so conspicuous by its absence round 

 Llanuwchllyn that I never saw it except once, and that was 

 during about a week or ten days subsequent to the 5th 

 September, when one or two of them appeared amongst 

 the trees in the village, and sang there lustily during their 

 brief stay. Though it was not seen in any of my wander- 

 ings, however, it seems probable that it must nest some- 

 where not very far off; it is known in other parts of 

 Wales as T telor-bach, and is not uncommon in some 

 localities. Had nests and eggs been taken as any guide, 

 it might have been reckoned pretty numerous here, for 

 the dark-brown-spotted, Chiffchaff variety, of the Willow 

 Wren's egg was of rather frequent occurrence in the Dee 

 valley ; and some of the nests belonging to that bird which 

 I saw might, from their situation, easily have passed as 

 typical Chiffchaffs' nests. 



1 saw a beautiful hanging nest of the Hedge Sparrow 

 (or Llwyd-y-bertti) to-day attached to the slender trailers 

 of a honeysuckle that draped an overhanging rock. This 

 bird I always prefer to think of it as the "Shuffle-wing," 

 from its well-known actions as it frequents the garden and 

 comes to the back door to see the dishes washed seems to 

 have a decided liking for suspending its nest in this way, 

 as though it dreaded the attack of some creeping enemy. 

 Not unlikely it is the Field Mouse that it mostly fears ; 

 for in a roadside hedge of dead thorn, etc., no nest is more 

 commonly to be seen occupied by that animal. Often the 

 nest may only be made use of by a mouse in autumn, 

 after its real owners have flown, as a convenient seat to 

 which hips and haws may be brought to be discussed at 

 leisure ; but when it contains eggs, such variations in the 

 mouse's menu are always welcome. At other times I have 

 seen the Shuffle-wing's nest attached to the hanging shoots 



