38 . THE BIRDS OF OUR RAMBLES. 



Three species of Warbler are regular sum- 

 mer visitors to the gardens and shrubberies. 



principally Best known of these is the BLACKCAP (Sylvia 



t^pl! ish atricapiltd) and the earliest to arrive in spring, 

 reaching his old haunts about the middle of ApriL 



Ditto but The GARDEN WARBLER (S. hortensis) arrives a. 



waVes? little later, and loves to frequent the currant and 

 gooseberry bushes in the garden amongst which 

 it often makes its nest ; and about the same time 



principally the third of these species, the LESSER WHITE- 

 THROAT (S. curruca) puts in an appearance. 

 Both this bird and the Blackcap are fond of 

 frequenting the tangled underwood in the shrub- 

 bery, especially the briars and brambles that arch 

 over the stream and festoon the laurels and holly- 

 trees : yet both may be observed often enough 

 within the garden, more commonly when the fruit 

 is ripe. Of these three birds the Blackcap, 

 identified by his black head, is far away the 

 sweetest singer ; indeed his melody is almost as 

 rich and beautiful as that of the Nightingale. 

 The Lesser Whitethroat, the smallest of the 

 three, with a gray back, brown wings and tail, and 

 nearly white underparts, is the poorest musician, 

 his song being so short as to become even mono- 

 tonous. On the other hand, the Garden Warbler, 

 in his olive-brown upper plumage, and nearly 

 white under plumage, has a song which, if not 

 so loud and so varied as the Blackcap's, is every 

 bit as soft in tone. All three are in fullest song 

 in early summer. All these little Warblers are 

 shy and restless birds, incessantly hopping about 

 the cool, shady undergrowth, and ever and anon 

 fluttering into the air to catch passing insects. 

 The call -note of each is a more or less harsh feck*. 



