74 



KEARTONS' NATURE PICTURES 



COMMON Wm I KT H HOST'S XEST. 



his mate is disturbed he is even more 

 emphatic in his remonstrance than 

 she is. 



I have heard it said that the Greater 

 Whitethroat is easily tamed, and am 

 willing to believe it on account of 

 the small amount of trouble the group 

 of pretty little chicks shown in the 

 coloured plate gave me in securing 

 their portraits ; they seemed, indeed, 

 quite unconcerned about the camera. 



During July and August families of 

 these birds sometimes visit my garden, 

 but, although they are said to be fruit- 

 eaters, I have never observed them in 

 the act of doing damage whilst search- 

 ing for caterpillars and other forms of 

 insect life. 



Throughout the prevalence of cold 

 weather the female spends nearlv all her 

 time covering her chicks and keeping 

 them warm, whilst her mate, with com- 

 mendable industry, searches for food 

 which he distributes amongst the 

 chicks with great celerity and im- 

 partiality. 



Booth has left it upon record that 

 during the spring migration, if there is 

 any wind blowing whilst the Common 

 Whitethroats are crossing the English 

 Channel, the birds fly as low down as 

 possible, in order to avoid its full force ; 

 if a heavy sea happens to be run- 

 ning at the time many of them are 

 knocked down into the water by spray 

 and never regain wing. 



