WILLOW-WREN. 433 



spitting of a cat^ when the male is chasing the female fast and furious 

 through the woods. The usual call-note is a whit, almost like that of the 

 Chaffinch or Redstart ; this is often heai'd if you approach too near the 

 nest. If you frighten the bird off, especially if the eggs are nearly hatched, 

 a still more plaintive note is heard — a rapidly uttered sound, something 

 like na, na, na, na. 



The Willow-Wi'eu is sometimes seen on the ground, where it hops like 

 a Robin ; sometimes it perches on a rail ; but it is essentially a bird of 

 the bushes and trees. Its flight is undulating but rapid. This bird moults 

 early; and the song is partially resumed in August. Its food consists prin- 

 cipally of small insects ; but in autumn it also eats currants, elder-berries, 

 and other soft fruits. 



The nest is almost always concealed amongst grass on the ground, and 

 is almost impossible to find, except by watching the female drop down on 

 to it, or by accidentally frightening her off. It is semi-domed, the rim 

 which forms the entrance being at an angle of about 45". It is somewhat 

 loosely constructed outside with dead grass, and sometimes a little moss 

 or a few dry leaves. Inside it is more carefully finished, and is lined with 

 fine roots, horsehair, and lastly with a profusion of feathers. 



The eggs vary in number from five to eight, and are white or pale creamy 

 white in ground-colour, blotched, spotted, and speckled with pale brownish 

 red. In some specimens the spots are small and finely powdered over 

 the whole shell ; in others the markings ai'e confluent, usually at the large 

 end of the egg, sometimes forming a zone, and sometimes with a few streaks 

 of rich brown. In some examples the spots are much richer and more 

 numerous than in others. In shape they vary not a little, sometimes 

 being almost round. They vary in length from '73 to '56 inch, and in 

 breadth from '5 to '45 inch. 



The eggs of all the British Willow-Warblers possess certain character- 

 istics which readily distinguish them from each other. Those of the 

 Common Willow-Warbler are readily identified by their pale reddish- 

 brown markings, those of the Chiffchafi: by their less numerous and very 

 dark red spots ; and those of the Wood-Wren are darkest of all, being 

 thickly marked with purplish coffee-brown and underlying spots of pale 

 violet-grey. From the eggs of many of the Tits it is a more difficult 

 matter to distinguish the eggs of the two former Willow-Warblers ; but 

 the situation and shape of the nest are sufficient for their identification. 



The adult Willow-Warbler in spring plumage has the general colour of 

 the upper parts olive-green, somewhat yellower on the rump. An in- 

 distinct greenish-yellow eye-stripe extends from the base of the bill as far 

 as the crown; the feathers before the eye, and behind the eye as far as 

 the crown, are dark olive-green. The wing-coverts are olive, edged with 

 olive-green ; and the quills are brown, narrowly tipped with greyish white, 

 VOL. I. 2p 



