410 THE RUFOUS WARBLER. 



warmth, particularly at night ; and it will not rest till it is very 

 near to one, against which it squeezes itself as close as possible < 

 this is also the case with S. Hortensis. 



"It is also a very desirable bird, as it continues in song the 

 greater part of the year, and its song is so loud and shrill, that 

 it may be heard above that of any other. I possess a female of 

 this species that sings frequently, but her note is very different 

 from that of the male. The Honourable and Reverend WILLIAM 

 HERBERT observes, ' that it ought to be mentioned, that garden- 

 ers are in the habit of cruelly destroying the nest of this bird, 

 confounding it with the Greater Pettichap, and imagining that 

 it attacks the cherries ; whereas it never touches fruit, but is 

 the gardener's friend, picking the aphides from the trees with 

 great industry.' This is the case with several other species, the 

 gardeners confounding them altogether under the common ap- 

 pellation of Whitethroats, and destroying them indiscriminately, 

 whereas it is only the Greater Pettichaps and the Blackcap that 

 materially injure the fruit ; but as the Blackcap has not a black 

 head the first season, it is not in general distinguished from the 

 Whitethroat." 



159. THE RUFOUS WARBLER. 

 Motacilla Rufa, LIN. Fauvette Rvusse, BUF. Der Weiden Zeisiff, BECH. 



Description. Except the Golden-crested Wren, this is the 

 smallest of European birds. It is only four inches long, of 

 which the tail measures one inch and three-quarters, and the 

 beak four lines. The feet are blackish brown, and eight lines 

 high ; the beak very sharp, externally blackish brown, and 

 yellow inside ; the eyes dark brown. 



In colour it bears a close resemblance to the Willow Wren. 

 The upper part of the body is reddish grey, somewhat tinged 

 with olive green. A dusky straw-colour stripe passes over 

 the eyes ; the cheeks are brownish. The under part of the 

 body as far as the breast is reddish grey ; the belly dirty white, 

 and, as well as the part beneath the wings, covered with small 

 rust-coloured spots. The pen and tail feathers are blackish 

 grey. 



The female is somewhat smaller, and less spotted with yel- 

 low on the under side of the body. 



Observations. Although this bird can bear cold better than 

 the other species of the Warblers, and may hence be seen as 

 early as March, on the hedges and willow trees, it cannot be 



