120 WILLOW WAEBLEE. 



more the next week. On these the bird sat, and brought 

 out seven young ones. When engaged with its young the 

 Willow Wren suffers a rather near approach, moving about the 

 brambles near its nest with evident and restless anxiety. 

 They begin to build about a fortnight or three weeks after 

 their arrival. 



It flies with rapidity, and in an undulating manner, but 

 only ordinarily for a short distance; at times it betakes itself 

 to the ground, where it is equally quick and nimble in its 

 movements. 



The food of the Willow Warbler consists of flies, even of 

 large size, gnats, spiders, aphides, and other insects, and 

 caterpillars, and for these it naturally resorts to those situ- 

 ations where they are in the greatest plenty woods, plantations, 

 copses, shrubberies, groves, and thickets, bushes on commons, 

 gardens, and the wooded banks of the 'clear and winding 

 river.' They are sought for within the buds and beneath 

 the leaves, and the birds do much service by destroying the 

 creatures which do so great an injury to rose trees and 

 flower-beds. A snap of the bill may often be heard when an 

 insect is captured on the wing. 



Its song, though of not much variety, is plaintive, mellow, 

 soft, and pleasing, and is both uttered at times on the wing 

 as well as from some high tree. It consists, says Mr. Mac- 

 gillivray, of a repetition of the syllable 'twee,' ten or more 

 times, the first notes prolonged, the rest gradually falling 

 and becoming shorter. It may be heard at a distance of 

 as much as six hundred yards or more, and is continued 

 till the middle or end of July, after which time it begins 

 to wane in strength, though repeated in fine weather till the 

 last. It begins with the highest note, and gradually goes 

 lower, dwelling on each several tones, in all five whole notes 

 of music. It is wont also, particularly in the early summer 

 months, to emit a small and rather shrill cheep. When 

 warbling its sweet and melodious lay, the throat is somewhat 

 swelled out, and the whole body thrills with the effort. In 

 the autumn it is so low and subdued that it is almost 

 inaudible a gentle adieu on the eve of its departure, before 

 the inhospitable northern winter steals on. The note of the 

 young birds is still weaker than that of the old ones. 



The nest, which is very large for the size of the bird, of 

 an oval but rather flat shape, though it varies in form 

 probably according to the situation in which it is placed, is 



