SYLVIAD^. Ill 



WOOD WARBLER, Sylvia sylvicola. The Wood 

 W T arbler, or " Wood Wren," as it is more commonly 

 called, is not rare in this county, but its distribution 

 is very local, being pretty common in some parts and 

 scarcely known in others. In my own immediate 

 neighbourhood I have not been able to find it : on 

 the other side of Taunton, however, near Orchard 

 Portman and Monkton, it is more common, as it is 

 also in the neighbourhood of Wiveliscombe. It is 

 partial to thick plantations, which keep it a good 

 deal out of sight. It is a late summer visitor, 

 seldom arriving in this country before the end of 

 April. 



The Wood Warbler is a great friend of the 

 gardener, as (according to Yarrell) it eats neither 

 fruit nor berries, its food being insects and their 

 larvse : of these some are taken on the wing, and 

 some are sought for amongst the upper foliage of 

 trees : small black beetles seem also to form part of 

 its food. 



The nest of the Wood Warbler is placed on the 

 ground in woods under a tuft of grass : it is made of 

 moss, dried grass and dead leaves, and is lined with 

 fine grass and hair : like the nests of the Chiffchaff 

 and Willow Warbler, it is domed or hooded.* 



Not at present having a Wood Wren in my col- 

 lection to refer to, I have taken the following 



* Hewitson. 



