THE GARDEN WARBLER. 379 



to the southward, and as it is capable of subsisting upon 

 that vegetable food to which our residents have recourse in 

 the winter, it is probable that the whole never leave the 

 country, but that some linger during the winter in those wild 

 and lonely places of the south, where wild berries are abun- 

 dant in the brakes and hedges ; but as the lingerers of the 

 migrant species are of course less lively, and less liable to be 

 excited into song by a fine day in the winter, than those 

 resident birds which are better clothed and fitted for the 

 climate, it may remain unheeded. It has been seen in Sur- 

 rey in December, and shot in Kent in January. On the con- 

 tinent of Europe it is rare on the south of the mountainous 

 ridge that may be traced from Cape Finisterre to the moun- 

 tains of Albania ; but it is found in the Atlantic isles. That, 

 however, is no proof of its migrating thither from any part of 

 Europe. The climate of these beautiful isknds is mild, and 

 the seasons are so very uniform, that the laws both of vege- 

 table and animal life are very different from what they can 

 be expected to be in the range of a large continent, which is 

 parched at one extremity, and frozen at the other. 



THE GARDEN WARBLER (Curruca liortensis). 



The garden warbler, or greater petty-chaps, of which a 

 figure of the male in the summer plumage, and one-third of 

 the lineal dimensions, is given on the plate at page 354, is, 

 perhaps, a sweeter songster than the black-cap, though not 

 so wild. 



The plumage of the female is not unlike that of the male, 

 only less bright, and with less of the greyish tinge which 

 appears to be the nuptial livery of the male. The young 

 have more of a yellowish-brown tinge on the upper parts, 

 the fore part below pale amber colour, and the belly and vent 

 white ; the feet also want the bluish tinge which is percep- 

 tible in the mature birds. 



