10 WHITETHEOAT. 



ash. Bill and legs brown. Length 6J in. Female, similar. 

 Young, darker ; spotted above with yellow-brown, and barred 

 beneath with greyish brown. 



Language. Song, the best melody of all our birds, and must 

 be heard to be appreciated. Its chief characteristics lie in the 

 liquid quaverings and rollings, giving way at intervals to a sad 

 wailing note. Soon after the young are hatched the song 

 degenerates into a dismal croaking. Note of anxiety, "wate- 

 wate-cur-cur." 



Habits. It is a skulker and loves the densest thicket. It 

 sings from the lower branches of some bush, but dislikes an 

 audience, whereupon it croaks dismally. When perched it 

 incessantly flirts its rather long tail. Food taken on the 

 ground. It proceeds with long hops, punctuated with statu- 

 esque motionless moments. 



Food. Insects and their larva?, spiders, small worms, 

 beetles, ants' eggs, fruit, and berries. 



Nest. About mid-May. One brood. 



Site. Very low down or on ground, studiously concealed by 

 dense cover, in base of small bush. 



Materials. Dead leaves, grasses, &c. ; loosely and untidily 

 put together ; lined with fine grass, fibres, and sometimes hair. 



Eggs. Four to six. Uniform olive-brown. 



Subfamily SYLVIIN^E. 



WHITETHEOAT (Sylvia cinerea). 



Migrant ; April to September. Abundant throughout Great 

 Britain, but rarer in extreme North. 



Haunts. Woodsides, thickets, brambly heaths, commons, 

 and hedgerows. Fond of nettle-beds (hence Nettle-creeper). 



Plumage. Head and neck ashy grey ; upper parts greyish 

 brown, darker on wings and tail. Breast white, faintly suf- 

 fused with rose. Flanks buff. Bill brown. Legs pale brown. 

 Length 5 in. Female, similar, but no grey head or rosy tinge 

 to breast. Young, more of a ruddy brown. 



Language. Excitement is the key-note of its rapid, erratic 

 love-song. Call-note, "pweet-pweet; " note of anxiety, a harsh 

 chiding sound, like " chuck-uck-uck-uck." 



Habits. Like many small birds it is uneasy and fidgety, 

 fond of flitting from spray to spray down some ragged hedge- 

 row, pausing to deliver its little torrent of song with distended 

 throat, erected forehead feathers, and odd gestures of its tail. 

 Occasionally it springs up into the air singing. When alarmed 

 it skulks, uttering its scolding notes. 



Food. Insects chiefly ; also soft fruits. 



