LESSER WHITETHROAT. 39 



one which he observed when passing a high bank in a 

 lane. It commenced rolling down the sandy side, 

 moving as if wounded : struggling and shuffling along, 

 it kept just beyond his reach, and finally flew away. 

 A few yards distant he found the nest. Doubtless the 

 old bird's manoeuvres were designed to draw him off the 

 scent. 



The nest of the Whitethroat is built in May. It is 

 very similar in construction to those of the same genus, 

 made of fine dry grass and lined with rootlets and horse- 

 hair. It is extremely thin ; in some you can see the 

 light through ; but at the same time it is very strong 

 and compact. It is placed generally low down in a 

 hedge or short bush, occasionally on the ground 

 amongst the tangled grass and nettles, sometimes 

 amongst the brambles and wild clematis by the road- 

 side. The eggs, four to six, vary considerably in their 

 markings. They are greenish white or buffish white 

 in ground colour, blotched and speckled with olive 

 green. On others the markings are a rich yellowish 

 brown with underlying marks of violet grey. The 

 birds leave us again at the end of September. 



LESSER WHITETHROAT. 



SYLVIA CURRUCA. 



Family PASSERID^. Sub-family SYLVIIN/E. Genus SYLVIA. 

 Brake Nightingale. 



The Lesser Whitethroat is by no means so common 

 as the previous bird. It is much more locally dis- 

 tributed. It is common in our county, Hampshire, as 

 also in most of the southern and eastern counties 



