BIRDS 93 



daily Hampshire, where it remains all the year round. It is like a very dark 

 Wren with a very long, fan-shaped tail. Upper parts dark brown, under parts 

 dark chestnut-red. The iris is dark red. It has a subdued liquid song or warble, 

 the call-note being syllabled as " Pit-it-chou," or " Pit-cha-cha." The nest, 

 usually 18 inches above the ground, is placed amongst gorse bushes or heather, 

 and is composed of grass stems (often goose-grass) interspersed with moss, 

 wool, or a few feathers. The eggs, four in number, are like the Whitethroat's 

 but smaller, light greeny white with distinct markings of dark brown and grey. 

 It breeds twice in the year, beginning to lay in March to April. A noticeable 

 characteristic is the posture of the male on the topmost twig of a bush of gorse 

 singing defiance at the human intruder. In winter the birds are very shy, 

 though sometimes they may be seen in the garden looking for food. 



Warbler, Garden. A summer migrant, of a uniform olive-brown above ; 

 under parts dull greyish white. The olive-brown distinguishes it from the 

 Blackcap or other bird of its size or shape ; both sexes are alike. The nest is 

 generally placed where there are plenty of low-growing bushes or undergrowth 

 on the edges of woods, in hedges, in bushes in gardens, or any tangled herbage. 

 It is a frail structure, rather larger than the Blackcap's but somewhat similar, 

 of grass stalks, lined with finer material and hair ; the eggs, like the Blackcap's, 

 but glossier and more distinctly marked rarely almost pure white. The 

 Garden Warbler is a delightful singer, having a liquid, rapid song like the Black- 

 cap's ; its alarm note, when the nest is approached, is " Tit-tit-tit," changing 

 into an angry " Teck " and the scolding " Cha-ah." 



Warbler, Grasshopper (" REELER "). Is so called from its peculiar song, 

 which resembles the noise of the reel used by hand-spinners of wool. It is a 

 curious rhythmical sound, growing louder and diminishing, often mistaken 

 for the continuous chirping of the grasshopper ; heard especially in the evening 

 or early morning. The bird in singing moves its head from side to side, thus 

 effectually " throwing " its voice, and making it difficult to locate the sound. 

 In moving through the herbage it is extraordinarily noiseless, gliding like a 

 mouse as a matter of fact, running, not hopping. It has an alarm note, 

 " T'wit-t'wit," and a long-drawn cry like a weasel. The upper parts are a 

 rufous brown, marked with blackish lines ; the under parts brown, with a 

 few darker streaks on the breast. There is a fine eye stripe. The nest is 

 carefully concealed, and difficult to find ; placed in low bushes, undergrowth, or 

 heather, near the ground ; made of coarse grass, leaves, etc., lined with finer 

 materials. The eggs, six in number, are thickly spread with small reddish 

 brown spots. 



Warbler, Marsh. A very local bird, but a regular summer visitor to South 

 and Midlands ; much like the Reed Warbler, but lacking the reddish tinge in 

 the under parts. Its song is said to be far superior to the Reed Warbler's, which 

 otherwise it resembles. It also imitates and mimics the notes of other birds. 

 The nest, also, is like the Reed Warbler's, but is placed, not over water among 

 reeds, but in the midst of herbage meadow-sweet being a favourite, and osiers, 



