THE LESSER WHITETHROAT 



STLVIA CURRUCA 



LOCAL names in surrounding counties : 



STATUS IN BRITISH AVIFAUNA : A local summer visitor ; 

 rarer in the extreme west, and in Scotland ; of only 

 abnormal occurrence in Ireland. 



RADIAL DISTRIBUTION WITHIN TIFTEEN MILES OF ST. 

 PAUL'S : In the Metropolitan area, as almost everywhere 

 else, the Lesser Whitethroat is less common and more 

 local than the preceding species. It is a bird, however, 

 that is often overlooked, and may justly be classed as a 

 regular summer visitor to many places within^the limits 

 of London's suburbs. During the seasons of migration, 

 in autumn especially, this little species frequently visits 

 small gardens within the six-mile radius, and I have 

 records from Kensington Gardens. In the autumn of 

 1904 I noticed a Lesser Whitethroat among some rows of 

 peas (the only cover the wretched apology for a garden 

 contained) for several days in succession, whilst I have 

 frequently observed it in allotment gardens not very far 

 from the City. To the more central suburbs it is 

 certainly a regular summer visitor, breeding at Dulwich, 

 whilst it is by no means rare in the Willesden, Wembley, 

 and Hendon districts. I have also summer records of it 

 from the Ealing, Acton, Kew, and Gunnersbury areas ; 

 whilst, of course, further afield it becomes commoner, 

 round Wimbledon, Richmond, Osterley, Southall, King- 

 ston, Merton, Ewell, Croydon, the Grays, Dartford, 

 Ilford, Wanstead, Epping, Enfield, Barnet, and Harrow. 

 Within the limits I have given and in the vicinity of 

 all the places specified the Lesser Whitethroat may be met 

 with during summer. It arrives near the end of April, 

 and migrates south in September. With the important 

 exception that the Lesser Whitethroat shows a greater 



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