370 INSECTIVOR^E. 



provincial tones of birds are well worthy of study, not only 

 as they are curious in themselves, and might help bird- 

 fanciers to procure birds of the finest voice, and also to 

 improve that by artificial means ; but as throwing light upon 

 the very curious subject of the varieties of local pronuncia- 

 tion. The inquiry would involve, not the mere difference of 

 tone, but the difference of cadence and inflection ; the inter- 

 change of sounds both of consonants and vowels, and the pre- 

 dominance of jarring and hissing. 



The note of the willow warbler is also easily distinguished 

 from that of the wood warbler it is sweet and varied, not 

 unlike that of the redbreast, but not nearly so powerful. 

 It is a murmuring note, while that of the wood warbler sounds 

 querulous. 



The males of the wood warbler arrive in the south of Eng- 

 land towards the end of April, and diffusing themselves very 

 generally over the country, they reach the north in May. 



They resort to the woodlands, the margins chiefly, and not 

 the depth of the forest, as they do not generally nestle in 

 trees. When they have chosen their locality, they perch on 

 the tops or points of the high branches, and begin their song, 

 labouring to win their dames by dint of glee, and often 

 twee-ing and trilling against each other, as if they would 

 shiver themselves to pieces. 



The nest is usually made in the close foliage of a bush or 

 tuft, on or near the ground, or, failing such cover, in the 

 lower parts of the lateral branch of a pollard, or on the 

 branch or any other tree that affords a bush near the ground. 

 The nest is formed of dried leaves and grass, and well lined 

 with fibres and hair. In structure it bears considerable re- 

 semblance to the nest of the lesser petty-chaps, only that lines 

 with feathers, and its eggs, though of nearly the same general 

 colour, are not so much spotted, and have not the spots at 

 the larger end so much run into a zone as those of the wood 



