THE WOOD WEEN. 415 



the fourth volume of their Transactions. In this country the 

 bird is pretty well known, being generally distributed through 

 the wooded districts during the season of its sojourn. It may 

 be at once distinguished from the true Trochilus, the "Willow 

 Warbler, which it most nearly resembles, by the broad streak 

 near the eye, and ear coverts, of a bright sulphur yellow ; by 

 the pure green colour of the upper parts of the body, and by 

 the delicate and unsullied white of the belly and tail coverts. 

 The following is 



SWEET'S ACCOUNT. " S. Sylvicola. Length five inches and a 

 half; bill horn colour; upper mandible bent at the top, and 

 rather longer than the under ; irides hazel ; nostrils beset with 

 bristles; top of the head, neck, back, and tail coverts, olive 

 green ; throat and cheeks yellow, paler on the breast ; belly and 

 vent of the most beautiful silvery white ; through the eye passes 

 a yellow line ; wings and coverts brown, edged with green ; tail 

 consisting of twelve feathers, rather forked, and of a brown 

 colour, edged with green on the exterior webs, and with white on 

 the interior, the first feather wanting the green edge ; under part 

 of the shoulder bright yellow; legs rather more than an inch long, 

 of a horn colour ; claws paler. T. LAMB, in Linnaan Transac- 

 tions, v. ii. p. 245. 



" An elegant and interesting little bird, which arrives in this 

 country the beginning of April, and leaves it in August, or the 

 beginning of September. I have never observed it in any other 

 situation than amongst tall trees, in woods or plantations, where 

 it is readily detected on its arrival, by its shrill shaking sort of 

 note, which may be heard at a great distance, and cannot be con- 

 founded with the song of any other bird ; when it first arrives, it 

 continues to sing nearly all day long, and its song is continued 

 more or less through most part of the summer, except the time 

 that it is engaged in feeding its young ; it is then discovered by 

 a dull mournful sort of call, quite different from that of any other 

 bird ; it may be easily watched to its nest, which is built on the 

 ground in a thicket of small bushes, and consists of moss and dry 

 leaves, with a covering at the top of the same materials, so that 

 it is scarcely possible to discover it, without watching the old 

 birds to it, either when they are building, or carrying food to 

 their young. I believe they are to be found in most woods and 

 large plantations in summer. I have frequently heard them in 

 Kensington Gardens, amongst the tall trees ; and they are not 

 uncommon in Coombewood, in Surrey, where I procured a nest 

 with young ones, last summer ; and I find they may be reared 

 by hand from the nest quite readily, when they will be very tame 



