THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 



preference for trees, its habits otherwise closely resemble 

 those of the preceding species. This propensity for the 

 higher vegetation is the reason the bird is so frequently 

 overlooked and thought to be much rarer and more local 

 than it really is. It has the same restless disposition, 

 the same secretive ways, as its larger congener. Fre- 

 quently it may be seen to flutter out from some tree into 

 the air in chase of an insect. Its song is nothing nearly 

 so sweet as that of the common Whitethroat, and consists 

 of a few twittering notes, often uttered during flight ; its 

 call-note is a grating tec-tec. The food of this species is 

 largely composed of insects and larvae, especially aphides ; 

 and the smaller garden fruits, such as currants and rasp- 

 berries, are greedily sought. The nesting season is in 

 May and June. The nest is often built quite close to 

 the ground, amongst brambles or gorse and similar matted 

 vegetation, but at other times is placed in a tall thick 

 hedge. It is not so deep as that of the common White- 

 throat, but made on the same flimsy design, outwardly of 

 grass stalks and bents and inwardly of horsehair. The 

 four or five eggs range from white to buff in ground colour, 

 blotched and freckled with greenish brown and grey, and 

 occasionally scratched with dark brown. The eggs are a 

 little smaller than those of the preceding, and the spots 

 are more clearly defined. But one brood is reared. 



The adult Lesser Whitethroat is pale slate-grey above, 

 with a brownish tinge on the back and ear-coverts ; the 

 wings and tail are brown, the inner secondaries with pale 

 brown margins, and the outer feathers of the latter tipped 

 with white ; the under parts are pale brown, shading into 

 white on the throat, centre of the abdomen, and under tail- 

 coverts. The female closely resembles the male in colour. 

 Bill dark slate-grey, paler at the base of the lower mandible ; 

 tarsi and toes slate-grey ; irides pale brown. Length 

 5f inches. The nestling closely resembles the adult in 

 general coloration. 



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