384 THE WHITE-BEEASTED WAKBLEH. 



It frequents gardens, especially if full of gooseberry bushes ; 

 arid if seen in the woods, it is never on the high trees, but in 

 the thick underwood. 



In confinement it may be treated like the Fauvette, but is a 

 very delicate bird. 



Food. This bird eats insects and small caterpillars, and, as 

 we may conclude from the fact, that it arrives a week earlier 

 than others of its species, insects' eggs also. It is also fond 

 of currants and elderberries. In the aviary it may be fed with 

 Nightingale's food, but will not live longer than a year, except 

 well supplied with ants' eggs and meal worms. 



Breeding. The nest of the Babillard, which is usually found 

 in thick gooseberry or white-thorn bushes, or young fir-trees, 

 is composed of grass stalks, lined with swine's bristles and fine 

 roots. The female lays five or six white eggs, spotted, especi- 

 ally at the thick end, with ashen grey and yellowish brown. 

 The affection of the Babillard for its young, like that of all of 

 its genus, is so great, that as soon as any one comes near the 

 nest, the sitting bird drops out of the nest as if senseless, and 

 flutters helplessly upon the ground, uttering an anxious 

 twitter. No sooner, again, have the feathers of the young 

 birds begun to grow, than they will spring out of the nest, and 

 hide themselves in the bushes, if so much as looked at. They 

 may be reared in the same manner as the young of the Fauvette. 



Diseases, and Mode of Talcing. On both these heads the 

 reader is referred to the account of the Fauvette. The Babil- 

 lard if snow should chance to have fallen after its arrival in 

 the spring, may also be taken in the following manner : A 

 place near a hedge should be cleared, and set with limed twigs, 

 baited with meal worm. To this, with the exercise of a little 

 care and caution, the birds may be driven. 



Attractive Qualities. Although the plumage of this bird is 

 not particularly brilliant, its general appearance is pleasing. 

 Throughout Germany it is called the Little Miller, from some 

 peculiar notes of its song, which resemble the noise of a mill, 

 JTlap, klap, Idap, Hap ! It is commonly thought that this is 

 the whole of its song ; whereas in the variety and beauty of 

 its notes, though very soft, and not very pure in tone, it 

 surpasses all other warblers. While singing, it hops from 

 twig to twig of the thick underwood, but pauses for a moment 

 when it comes to the final clnp : and gives it out with con- 



