ICTERINE WARBLER. 363 



its carol is the sweetest lie has ever heard, equalling if not 

 surpassing that of the Nightingale. According to Baron 

 de Selys-Longchamps (Rev. Zool. 1847, p. 122), who has 

 had ample opportunities of studying the habits of the Icterine 

 Warbler near Liege, and even within the bounds of that 

 city where the smallest garden is yearly frequented by a 

 pair, the notes of the cock imitate those of several birds : its 

 song somewhat resembling that of the Marsh-Warbler, to 

 be presently mentioned (p. 373), but being more lively and 

 gay, while it also mocks the Greenfinch, and its other cries 

 counterfeit those of the Swallow, the Golden Oriole, the 

 Woodchat, and the alarm-note of the Willow- Wren. 



The nest is open and cup- shaped, built at the height of 

 several feet from the ground in a forked bough, and, though 

 with very thick and substantial walls, is remarkable for the 

 lightness of their component materials. One, described by 

 Mr. Hewitson, is formed chiefly of umbelliferous plants and 

 fine dry grass, strongly bound together by a quantity of wool, 

 mixed with fine shreds of birch-bark and bits of moss, the 

 lining being of the flowering stems of grasses, without their 

 seeds, very fine roots and a few hairs. The eggs, five or six 

 in number, are very constant in colour and markings, being 

 of a dull brownish-pink with spots and specks of dark pur- 

 plish-brown, almost black. They measure from '77 to "65 

 by from -55 to *5 in., an exceptionally small one being only 

 47 by -41 in. 



The bill is brown above, the lower mandible yellowish : 

 irides brown : from the nostrils a yellow streak passes over 

 each eye ; top of the head, neck, scapulars, upper wing-co- 

 verts and back, greyish-olive ; quills ashy-brown, with light 

 external edges, those of the tertials broad and distinctly tinged 

 with pale yellow ; chin, cheeks, neck and all the lower parts 

 lemon-yellow ; legs and toes slate-colour ; the soles yellow. 

 The female is generally paler than the male ; and the young 

 have the yellow parts of a lighter hue. 



The whole length five inches and a quarter ; the wing, 

 from the carpal joint, three inches and one eighth. The 

 relative proportion of the primaries has already been stated. 



