THE SINGING BIRDS. 251 



seed only, to every other food, the smaller house or window flies excepted. . Before these birds left 

 their nest I put them into a pair of scales, and found that they weighed two drachms and a quarter 

 each. At this time they ate in one day one drachm and a quarter each, so that in two days each 

 consumed more than its own weight. Such a repletion is almost incredible, and doubtless greatly 

 beyond what the parent birds could usually supply them with, which, by observation, appeared to 

 consist of variety, and, not unfrequently, small Phcelena ; their growth, however, was in proportion to 

 the large supply of food. This interesting little family began to throw out some of their mature 

 feathers on each side of the breast about the middle of August, and the sexes became apparent. At 

 this time they had forsaken their grasshopper food, feeding by choice on the soft victuals before 

 mentioned. The nestling attachment of these little birds was very conspicuous towards the dusk of 

 the evening ; for a long time after they had forsaken the nest they became restless, and apparently in 

 search of a roosting-place, flying about the cage for half an hour, or until it was too dark to move 

 with safety, when a singular soft note was uttered by one which had chosen a convenient spot for the 

 night, at which instant they all assembled, repeating the same plaintive cry. In this interesting 

 scene, as warmth was the object of all, a considerable bustle ensued, in order to obtain an inward 

 berth, those on the outside alternately perching upon the others, and forcing in between them ; 

 during this confusion, which sometimes continued for a few minutes, the cuddling note was 

 continually emitted, and in an instant all was quiet. Nothing can exceed the activity of these little 

 creatures ; they are in perpetual motion the whole day, throwing themselves into various attitudes and 

 gesticulations, erecting the crest and tail at intervals, accompanied by a double or triple cry, which 

 seems to express the words ' Cha ! cha ! cha ' ' They frequently take their food while suspended to 

 the wires with their heads downwards, and not unusually turn over backwards on the perch. The 

 males, of which there were three out of the four, began to sing with the appearance of their first 

 mature feathers, and continued in song all the month of October, frequently with scarcely any 

 intermission for several hours together ; the notes are entirely native, consisting of considerable 

 variety, delivered in a hurried manner, and in a much lower tone than I have heard the old birds in 

 their natural haunts. This song is different from anything of the kind I ever heard, but in part 

 resembles that of the Stone Chat. The Dartford Warbler will sometimes suspend itself on wing over 

 the furze, singing the whole time, but is more frequently observed on the uppermost spray in vocal 

 strain for half an hour together." 



The same habits were observed by " Rusticus," of Godalming, who, writing in " Loudon's 

 Magazine," says : — " Its habits are very like those of the little Wren ; and when the leaves are off 

 the trees, and the chill winter winds have driven the summer birds to the olive gardens of Spain, 

 or across the Straits, the Furze Wren, as it is there called, is in the height of its enjoyment I have 

 seen them by dozens skipping about the furze, lighting for a moment on the very point of the sprigs, 

 and instantly diving out of sight again, singing out their angry, impatient ditty, for ever the same. 

 They prefer those places where the furze is very thick, high, and difficult to get in.'' 



The period of incubtition commences early in the spring, each brood (of which there are always 

 two, sometimes three, in the course of the season) consisting of four or five eggs. When first fledged 

 the nestlings are unable to fly, and run over the ground exactly after the fashion of young mire. 

 Whilst the little family is in this helpless condition, the parents are constantly in a state of great 

 excitement and anxiety ; their cry of admonition or warning is then to be heard incessantly ; even 

 when the young are sufficiently advanced to perch upon the branches, the same cautious watchfulness 

 against approaching danger is maintained, and we have often amused ourselves by observing the 

 precipitation with which the whole group of little Blackheads disappear as the obedient nestlings hurry 

 to some safe shelter within the bush or tree, at the first signal from their vigilant parents. Such ot 



