68 OUR SUMMER MIGRANTS. 



The country lads call it the "Nettle Creeper," 

 from its frequenting overgrown ditches and 

 hedgebanks where the nettle is plentiful, 

 amongst the stems of which it builds its 

 nest. It comes to us about the third week in 

 April, and remains until the end of August. 

 It is very generally distributed in the British 

 Islands, and is as common in Ireland as it is 

 in England. In the north of Scotland it 

 is said to be rare ; but a correspondent of 

 Mr. More finds it breeding regularly in Mull 

 and lona.^ It visits Scandinavia in summer, 

 and is found also at that season in Russia and 

 Siberia. It is one of the commonest birds in 

 spring and autumn in Malta, and is occasionally 

 observed in Corfu in September and October. 

 In winter it is not uncommon in Asia Minor 

 and North-east Africa. Amongst the birds col- 

 lected at Aboo, North-west India, by Dr. King, 

 in September, 1868, Mr. Hume found one which 

 both he and M. Jules Verreaux identified at 



' C7:"Ibis,"i86s, p. 25. 



