THE CIlIFf-CH.SJF. 71 



liardly attract us amid the full chorus of song, 

 are welcome now that song is scarce. This song is 

 sometimes sung as early as the middle of March, 

 and towards the end of that month is common. 

 All the summer it is to be heard at intervals, and 

 the hardy little bird lingers with us in some years 

 till late in October, coming in company with the 

 titmice and crested wren, to the gardens or fir plan- 

 tations, and uttering its cheering notes often for 

 many hours together, for some days previous to its 

 departm'c. Sometimes this bird sings on the wing, 

 as it darts across the garden path in search of 

 insects, and at others it utters its strain from the 

 higli branches of the trees of those shady woods and 

 tliickets which it loves to haunt. Large gardens, 

 too, furnish a favourite resort to the chilf-chafF, 

 where it is most persevering in spring in clearing 

 the aphides off the honeysuckles, rose-trees, and 

 other bushes. And Avhen in the latter part of 

 March the golden balls of the willow-tree attract 

 by their sweet perfume, an occasional butterfly, a 

 wasp, a bee, or some other winged creature, then 

 our elegant little bird may be seen, as Mr. Knapp 

 has said, itself almost like a coloured catkin too, 

 chasing the insects right men'ily around the wil- 



