1 88 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



Whitethroat, inasmuch as the Lesser Whitethroat is a more 

 retiring bird, and does not place itself so much in evidence 

 as its ally. It is quite as unobtrusive as the Garden Warbler, 

 and, like that species, frequents the most secluded localities. 

 It arrives in England somewhat later than S. sylvia^ and as 

 the foliage is then more advanced, this may be one reason 

 why the Lesser Whitethroat is less noticed than that species. 

 Like the latter it frequents hedgerows and lanes, but is mor 

 often seen in the higher trees than the Whitethroat. Its fc 

 consists of insects, in pursuit of which it hops from twig to t 

 and examines all the leaves, after the fashion of Warblers ; it 

 also varies its diet with fruit, and is said to be especially fom 

 of cherries and red currants, while we can affirm that, like tl 

 Whitethroat, it is capable of doing considerable damage amon< 

 the peas. In the autumn it feeds on berries. The song of tl 

 Lesser Whitethroat is described by Mr. Seebohm as " a mono- 

 tonous trill, sometimes like the first notes of the song of the 

 Yellow Bunting, but it is frequently preceded by a few notes, 

 which, though they are not very varied nor very loud, are by no 

 means unmusical, and somewhat resemble the twittering of a 

 Swallow. Its call-note resembles the syllable check several times 

 repeated and sometimes varied with a more guttural cry." Like 

 other Warblers, it utters a harsh grating note when alarmed or 

 disturbed near its nesting-place. 



Nest. Not so deep as that of the Common Whitethroat, 

 very similar in construction, though somewhat more coarsel 

 made. The materials are fine grass-stems, and spiders' wet 

 or the cocoons of caterpillars are used to bind it together, while 

 the linings consist of fine rootlets or horsehair. It is sometime 

 placed in the higher branches of a tall hedgerow or in bustu 

 but is also to be found in brambles or furze. 



Eggs. Four to six in number. The ground-colour is chir 

 white, spotted with light brown or greenish-brown, and havii 

 very distinct underlying blotches and spots of violet-gn 

 generally forming a ring near the larger end of the egg. 

 some instances the darker markings are accompanied by al 

 solutely black spots, distributed irregularly over the egg. Axis 

 Q-65-0'75 inch ; diam., 0-5-0-55. 



