THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 277 



ing homes. As I was one fine May morning listening to one of these 

 songsters in my garden, a Willow Warbler, some thirty paces behind 

 me, also started its little time. Greatly to my astonishment, the 

 Whitethroat at once introduced it in somewhat softer tones in its 

 own fantasias, and repeated it regularly during the shorter or longer 

 pauses occurring between the recitals of the Willow Warbler. One 

 can hardly expect a Heligoland ornithologist to be versed in all the 

 secrets and peculiarities of bird music, and so I cannot say whether 

 this pleasing intermezzo is a habitual feature of this bird's vocal 

 performances, or whether it was on this occasion a little freak 

 prompted by the invigorating effects of travel ; all I can say is that 

 it sounded exceedingly sweet. 



97. Lesser Whitethroat [ZAUNGHASMUCKE]. 

 SYLVIA CURRUCA, Brisson. [LiNN.]. 



Heligolandish : Liitj U nger = Little Warbler. 



Sylvia curruca. Naumann, ii. 451. 



Lesser Whitethroat. Dresser, ii. 383. 



Bee-fin babillard. Temminck, Manuel, i. 209, iii. 134. 



Only solitary examples of this pretty little songster are met with 

 on this island ; it is the earliest arrival among its nearer relatives 

 during the spring migration, almost always making its appearance 

 as early as the first days of April, even if the weather is still raw, 

 and completes its migration by the middle of May. In the autumn, 

 when it occurs still more sparingly, it may be seen from the latter 

 half of September till towards the end of October, and at times also 

 somewhat later. 



The breeding area of this bird extends frem France into eastern 

 Asia (Daiiria), while its northern range reaches to central Scan- 

 dinavia Solitary instances of its nesting in Spain are recorded, 

 but in Portugal it appears no longer to be met with as breeding 

 species. 



98. Garden Warbler [GAKTENGRASMUCKE]. 

 SYLVIA HORTENSIS, Gmelin. [BECHST.]. 



Sylvia hortensis. Naumann, ii. 478. 



Garden Warbler. Dresser, ii. 429. 



Bee-fin fauvette. Temminck, Manuel, i. 206, iii. 132. 



This songster also is quite a common bird on this island. On 

 warm days at the end of April and throughout May, as well as at 



