WOOD WAEBLER. 115 



movements are quick, dexterous, and facile in gliding over 

 and among the branches in quest of its prey. It is lonely 

 and unsociable as to any intercourse with its fellows. It 

 frequents trees for the most part, even those of large size. 



Its flight is rapid and undulating. 



Their food is composed of insects and their larvse, the 

 former being sometimes captured on the wing, and both 

 sought for as well among the branches and foliage of trees. 

 Mr. Weir has seen one dart against a large humble bee with 

 an audible blow, and the insect having fallen towards the 

 ground, repeat the attack. 



The song, uttered from a twig, or the very top of the 

 tallest tree, is, though simple, very sweet and beautiful. It 

 is at first rather slow, but afterwards becomes more hurried, 

 and is accompanied by a curious shaking of the wings, and 

 a slight upward movement of the tail: when the bird first 

 arrives, it is kept up nearly throughout the day. It resembles 

 the syllables 'twee, twee, twee,' and is continued at intervals 

 till about the middle of September, the time of its leaving. 

 It may be heard a very long way off. 'It seems not without 

 considerable exertion that these sounds are uttered, as the 

 little singer may be seen with its throat inflated, the feathers 

 of the head and neck erect, the wings drooping, and the 

 little beak directed upwards and vibrating with the jarring 

 expression of the notes thus disengaged.' The note is some- 

 times uttered while the bird is on the wing from place to 

 place, as also when descending from the spray to which 

 it had arisen. They have also a sibilous trill, from whence 

 one of the specific names a 'tzit, tzit;' and during the time 

 they are engaged with their young, when the song is inter- 

 mitted, a dull and plaining sort of call a mournful 'tweet.' 



The nest, which is domed, and of an oval shape, cleverly, 

 but not thickly, interwoven, is almost always placed on the 

 ground, among herbage in woods, the entrance being through 

 a small hole in the side. It is made of grasses, leaves, and 

 moss, lined with the finer parts of the first and hair. It is - 

 well concealed, and is usually to be found on the side of 

 some slope, where the sun's rays gaining transitory admittance 

 through the boughs above encourage the vegetation, and 

 dispel the dank and humid atmosphere which otherwise would 

 prevail in such a place. Mr. Sweet says that he has often 

 found the nest on the stump of a tree. 



The eggs, six, or more commonly seven in number, are of 



