42 WOODLANDERS AND FIELD FOLK 



of trees are younger. Age begets decay, and decay 

 is productive of a whole host of insects. Hard- 

 bodied beetles, the wood-louse, and winged life 

 simply swarm in such congenial spots. 



In close cousinhood to the wood-warbler are the 

 willow-warblers and the chiff-chaffs. The wood and 

 willow-warblers and the chiff-chaff differ from their 

 congeners in not being fruit-eaters. They live 

 entirely upon insect life, and the benefit they confer 

 on the garden during the earlier months of their 

 stay in this country is almost incalculable. Every 

 species of summer fly is taken, both at rest and on the 

 wing, in the latter case the bird darting after its 

 prey. Yet although flies and aphides constitute 

 the staple of its food, the bird is omnivorous in its 

 range of insect diet, and this is taken both in the 

 larval and matured state. This characteristic, 

 then, of abstaining from fruit, and being solely an 

 insect-feeder, is common to the wood-warbler and its 

 confreres, the willow-warbler and the chiff-chaff. 

 The general colour of the plumage of these birds 

 differs from that of the rest of the warblers. But 

 the third and best characteristic is in the nests of the 

 three species, which are invariably dome-shaped. For 

 a long time the wood-warbler was confounded with 

 the willow- warbler, and in general it pretty much 

 resembles it, the chief points of difference being 

 the bright yellow streak over the eye of the wood- 



