76 British Birds, with their Nests and Eggs. 



observes : — " I have rarely detected the song of this warbler in summer in close 

 vicinity to the city, but in autumn, towards the end of August or beginning of 

 September, a pair or two, with their little families (and the same may be said of 

 the Blackcap and Whitethroat) invariably appear amongst the shrubs in my garden, 

 betraying their presence by the same anxious cries so aptly described by Mr. 

 Blyth, as 'resembling the sound produced by tapping two small pebbles together.' 

 This is evidently intended as a note of warning to the young brood, always care- 

 fully concealed amongst the thick foliage, their whereabouts being indicated only 

 by a rapid movement of the leaves, as they search the branches for berries and 

 insects." 



The call of the Garden Warbler to its mate is certain to be a soft sound ; 

 but I have not specially noted it ; and, in all works on British Birds which I have 

 studied the cry of alarm or warning is incorrectly stated to be the call-note : the 

 same error is made with regard to many other species, not only of European but 

 of foreign birds ; the harsh scolding chatter of the Pekin Nightingale having been 

 stated to be its call note, probably because both sexes scold in unison ; whereas 

 the actual call of that species consists, in the hen — of a single whistled note 

 repeated five times, and in the cock — of a short measured song consisting of seven 

 or nine notes. 



The Garden Warbler in confinement is certainly more sensitive to cold than 

 the Blackcap : a friend of mine who is very fond of fishing, sometimes takes a 

 fine net with him which he fixes up across the trout-stream ; by this means he 

 has, from time to time, secured many interesting birds for stuffing (a proceeding with 

 which I have no sympathy, for to my mind a live bird in the bush is far prefer- 

 able to fifty dead birds in the hand). However, in September, 1888, he brought 

 me two living birds, one of which was a male Garden Warbler. I turned these 

 birds into a large cool aviary, among Waxbills, Mannikins and British Finches. 

 The Garden Warbler seemed perfectly content, ate the usual soft food, as well as 

 a few mealworms, caterpillars and spiders ; the frost did not appear to affect it 

 unpleasantly, and, in the early spring, it sang heartily every day : in May its song 

 became less frequent, it grew somewhat listless in its movements, yet continued 

 to eat as freely as ever. One morning, in July, 1889, I found it dead, and 

 dissection showed that its lungs were seriously affected. I should therefore recom- 

 mend Aviculturists to keep this Warbler in a mild temperature during the \^dnter 

 months, and give it as much insect food as possible: it ought, moreover, to be 

 kept in an aviary, so that it may be able to take plenty of healthful exercise.* 



' Mr. Staines, of Penge, gave me a second male in July, 1896, -svliicli is in perfect healtli at the time of 

 penning this article. 



