52 BIRDS OF MIDDLESEX. 



Common Whitethroat, on the contrary, seldom 

 builds till the end of May or June." 



WOOD WREN, Sylvia sibilatrix. A summer visit- 

 ant, but, owing to its partiality for woods, somewhat 

 local. Mr. Bond has obtained specimens of the 

 Wood Wren at Kingsbury, where I have also ob- 

 served it, and I have some eggs of this species that 

 were taken near Edgeware. In the more wooded 

 neighbourhoods of Stamnore, Bushey, and Pinner, 

 the Wood Wren is more plentiful ; and I have noticed 

 this bird frequently in Lord Mansfield's woods at 

 Hampstead. It may easily be recognized at a dis- 

 tance by its song, which is very different from the 

 Willow Wren, or Chiff Chaff, the only two species 

 with which it can be confounded. It has a gra- 

 duated strain of twelve or fourteen notes, begun 

 high, and finishing in demi-semiquavers diminuendo. 

 And a peculiarity in this song is, that the first four 

 or five notes are repeated moderate and staccat6, 

 while the remainder is hurried to the end. The 

 nest of the Wood Wren differs from those of the 

 Willow Wren and Chiff Chaff in never having the 

 lining of feathers which theirs invariably have. 



WILLOW WARBLER, Sylvia trochilus. A common 

 summer visitant. Nest and eggs found every year. 

 It has a pleasant, laughing song, repeated from 

 time to time with considerable pauses between, 

 beginning in a pretty high key, forte, and diminish- 

 ing to lower tones, scarcely audible. Mr. J. V. 



