YELLOW-BROWED WILLOW-WREN. 445 



bifasciata,' a name coined on the spot for the unknown wanderer ; and it 

 never occurred to any of the old Heligoland sportsmen, nor even to one 

 of the young blowpipe-shooters^ to call it any thing else but the ' Barred 

 Willow- Warbler.' 



" The custom of this bird to frequent the bushes in the small gardens 

 close to the houses, where it is seldom safe to use a gun, is the reason why 

 so few comparatively of the numerous examples which have been seen have 

 been procured ; and from the same custom arises the fact that so many 

 which have been shot have not been preserved. When you have the chance 

 of a safe shot, you frequently cannot get far enough off to avoid blowing 

 the poor bird all to pieces. Besides this, it is by no means an easy bird to 

 shoot. Few birds understand better how to conceal themselves, how always 

 to keep sufScient foliage between themselves and the eyes of the eager 

 observer to make a successful shot very difficult. 



" The interest attaching to the visits of this little bird to our western 

 island is so great that I have extracted the following references to its 

 appearance from my notebook, as an opportunitj^ of making such obser- 

 vations may never come again : — 



" 1846, Oct. 4. A male; the first seen (shot). 



1847, Nov. 9. One seen. 



1848, Oct. 8. A female shot. 

 ,, Nov. 9. One seen. 



1849, Apr. 25. A fine male shot. 

 „ Sept. 20. One seen. 



„ „ 25. One seen. 



1850, Oct. 1. One seen. 



,, „ 6. A pair seen. Female shot. 



„ „ 13. One seen. 



„ „ 17. One seen. 



1853, Oct. 12. One seen. 



„ ,, 17. A male shot. 



1854, Sept.28. One seen. 

 „ „ 30. One seen. 



„ Oct. 6. A young bird shot. 



1857, Sept. 20. One seen in my garden. 



1858, Sept.22. A bird badly shot. 



„ Oct. 12. One seen in my garden. 



1859, Oct. 7. A pair seen. One shot. 

 „ „ 8. A fine male shot. 



„ „ 13. A pair shot. One fine old male. Both in my 

 collection. 

 1861, Oct. 10. Three birds seen in Jacob Dehn's willows. 

 1863, Oct. 9. A male shot. 



