404 BRITISH BIRDS. 



tits seem to come from the Continent in autumn and help to 

 clear our orchards of insect pests. 



Warblers (Sylviin^). 



The Warblers, such as the Whitethroat {Sylvia cinerea), 

 the Chiffchaff (Phylloiicopus rufus), and many others, mainly 

 migrants, are insectivorous in habits. Some feed upon fruits 

 as well as insects ; the Blackcap {Sylvia airicajnlla), for in- 

 stance, often does much harm to red-currants and raspberries, 

 ■whilst abroad it attacks figs and oranges. The Garden 

 Warbler {S. hortensis) also does some harm, feeding off peas 

 and fruit ; but its young are brought up on caterpillars, espe- 

 cially those of the noxious Pieridse or Whites. Similar 

 remarks apply to all the species, of which there are some 

 twenty recorded in Great Britain. The young warblers differ 

 but slightly from the adults in coloration. 



Thrushes, Blackbirds, &c. (Turdin.e). 



The last sub-family of the TurdidaB contains the Thrnshes 

 and Blackbirds {Turdus), the Wheatears {Saxicola), the Kobin 

 {Eritliacus), and the Nightingale {Daulias), &c. The young 

 of the Turdinae differ from the adults in plumage, always 

 having the upper parts more or less spotted. The Turdina 

 live upon insects, molluscs, and fruit. 



The Blackbird {Turdus mei-ula) need not be described as 

 it is too well known. It is a resident over the greater part 

 of Britain. It is no unusual thing to get white and piebald; 

 specimens of the blackbird. The food is very varied : they 

 destroy many insects, and are especially useful as snail and 

 slug devourers ; but they commit sad havoc with the fruit, 

 especially gooseberries, in the summer. The hen is dusky' 

 brown with a spotted breast, whilst the beak is brown with 

 yellow edges ; the cock is deep black with a yellow bill. The 



