26 BRITISH BIRDS. 



feathers slate-brown, margined with olive-green ; whole 

 lower plumage dull yellowish-white ; under wing-coverts 

 pale yellow ; bill brown ; iris hazel ; feet blackish-brown. 

 Length 470 ; wing 2*40. Female identical. Young lack 

 yellow tinge. 



Arrives about end of March, leaving again before 

 October ; exceptionally remaining through winter in south 

 of England and Ireland. Generally distributed throughout 

 England and southern Scotland, but local in some parts, as 

 in Norfolk and other of our eastern counties ; very rare 

 in north of Scotland ; breeds in every county of Ireland. 

 Frequents chiefly woods and copses, but also abundant on 

 commons, if unexposed, and in timbered meadow land. 

 Usually sings in the tree-tops and seems chiefly to seek 

 there for the insects and small larvae upon which it 

 subsists. Nest : placed on or near the ground, among 

 brambles, coarse herbage, etc.; commonly on tangled 

 banks. It is dome-shaped, with a wide entrance at side, 

 and constructed of moss, dead leaves, and dry grasses, 

 lined internally with a little hair and a quantity of feathers. 



Eggs : laid in May ; 5 or 6 ; white or creamy -white, but 

 quite opaque, spotted with reddish-brown, usually in small 

 very dark specks around larger end, but sometimes more 

 distributed in larger aud paler spots ; size "60 by '47. 

 Tremulous, though pleasing little song may be syllabled as 

 chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff, chiv-chave; it is heard continually 

 in early spring, and is frequently resumed in August. 



33. Phylloseopus troehilus (Linn.). 



WILLOW-WARBLER. 



Hab. Europe (excepting south-west portion from Balkan 

 States to South Russia), north to North Cape. Also 

 Siberia, west of the Yenesei. South in winter to the 

 Mediterranean and Africa. 



