140 Selous: Orimthological Observations in Brittany. 
the list) was, to-day, collecting insects, that is to say, catching 
one after another, and retaining them all in its bill. This was, 
no doubt, to feed its young with, yet it did not, by its move- 
ments, give me any clue to the nest. This Warbler has a 
pretty song, but I do not find it either so sweet or so rich as 
that of the Garden Warbler. 
JUNE gTH.—The song of my yellow-throated Warbler— 
for the hue seems brightest on the throat—is often ushered in 
by a long-drawn ‘ too-1, too-i, too-i, too-i,’ and there are numer- 
ous other sounds, such as ‘ twee, twee, twee, twee, tweer-le- 
veer,’ etc., distinct from the actual warble, and generally 
preceding it. The bird is still in full song, but it has changed 
its habits, as well as its locality, for it is now always hidden. 
JUNE 12TH.—My object now is, 1f possible, to find the nest, 
and see something of the domestic economy of this Breton 
Warbler, still constantly singing here. 
JUNE 20TH.—I watched these Warblers for some time, 
again, this evening, from about 5-30 but failed, as before, to 
find any nest. Where are the females ?—for unless they, too, 
sing, I can hardly have seen a single one. There are two 
or three about here (in the valley), but I never watch any of 
them for long without its singing, though the song is now 
much deteriorated. J can never see one, with either food or 
nesting material in the bill, both of which would argue, even 
if they did not prove the feminine. Incubation, of course, 
remains, but all the hens of the males I have watched cannot 
have been incubating all the while. These Warblers seem 
to be much more fly—or gnat—than caterpillar-catchers. 
I have, however, from time to time, seen them search a leaf, 
though not yet catch a caterpillar. 
JUNE 21sT.—I thought this morning that I had located the 
nest of a pair of these Yellow Warblers that haunt a bramble 
and willow brake, enclosed in a little quiet valley here, through 
which—that is to say just this part of it—a tiny stream rather 
oozes than flows. One of the two went repeatedly to a certain 
spot amidst bracken, often flying near about in the between- 
whiles, catching insects on the wing—as far as I could judge, 
at least. This I took to be the female, not only as being the 
more domestically inclined, but by her quieter and less bold 
manner and lighter song—for she did sing once or twice if not 
oftener. She also broke out occasionally into the same harsh 
rattling note, indicative of displeasure or apprehension. Through 
the glasses she looked both smaller and paler than the male, 
a subdued edition of him so to speak. The latter also went 
down once into this same place, but it was after her, and as 
he seemed to me afterwards to be pursuing her amidst the 
bracken, I think the motive was a conjugal rather than a 
domestic one, especially as the same thing was repeated once, 
Na‘uralist 
