DARTFORD WARBLER. 41 



a harsher shrill shake. It is very like the Whitethroat 

 in appearance, but is more silvery about the breast. 



The nest, too, is composed of the same materials as 

 the Common Whitethroat's dry grass, and a little 

 moss or wool, lined as a rule with rootlets and a little 

 horsehair. It is not, however, nearly so deep. It is 

 usually placed in low bushes and brambles, or in the 

 bottom of a hedge, three or four feet from the ground, 

 and generally more trouble is taken to hide it from 

 view than in the case of the Common Wfritethroat. 

 The birds will very quickly desert their nest if it is 

 meddled with before the eggs are laid. 



The eggs cannot be very well confused with those of 

 the Common Whitethroat. They are smaller though 

 more elongated, four or five in number, cream-white 

 in ground colour, blotched and speckled mostly at the 

 large end with a rich greenish brown, with under- 

 lying markings of yellowish brown. In all the 

 specimens in my possession, the markings are more 

 blotchy than those of the Common Whitethroat and 

 the finer spots are not nearly so numerous. Some of 

 the eggs are streaked with a very deep brown. 



This bird can be kept in confinement. 



DARTFORD WARBLER. 



SYLVIA PROVINCIALIS. 



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

 Furze Wren. 



This bird, without doubt, seems to be a resident in 

 our island, but it can nowhere be reckoned common. 

 It is most likely to be met with in the counties 

 bordering the English Channel. In our county it is 



