WARBLER. PASSERES. SYLVIA. 167 
The present species was long subjected to an erroneous im- 
pression, by being considered as of the dark genus, which 
mal-arrangement with respect to it, could only have arisen 
from the difficulty of procuring specimens. It would other- 
wise be a subject of wonder, how any one, conversant with 
this department of zoology, could confound species so dissi- 
milar in form and habits; and, under examination, the essen- 
tial characters widely differ. It is a migratory bird, and is 
seldom heard, in the northern parts of the kingdom, before 
the beginning of May ; but in the southern (or rather south- 
western counties, according to Monracv) as early as the se- 
cond or third week in April. 
It is far from being abundant, and is very partially distri- 
buted ; the above author, fixing its limits of migration to the 
counties before mentioned, and to Ireland; but I have 
known it, for some years past, as a visitant to several parts 
of Northumberland, where it haunts low and damp situa- 
tions, overgrown with furze, bramble, and underwood. It 
is remarkably shy and timid, and is very seldom seen upon 
wing, generally remaining shrouded in the middle of the 
thickest furze, or other entanglement, which it threads with 
the rapidity of a mouse. In order to obtain specimens, I 
have been obliged to watch for a considerable time before a 
distinct view of the individual, and an opportunity to fire at 
it, could be obtained ; although, during that time, the fre- 
quent repetition of its remarkable note told its immediate 
proximity. This note consists of a sort of sibilant ringing 
cry, sometimes repeated for many minutes without intermis- 
sion, and resembles so exactly the note of the mole-cricket 
(Grylla Talpa), as to render it a difficult task to distinguish 
them; and probably, as Monracu suggests, may answer the 
double purpose of a decoy-note to these insects, and a song 
of love and invitation to its feathered mate. In the utter- 
ance of this note, it appears to possess a kind of ventrilo- 
quism, as it can cause the sound, at one moment, to proceed 
from the immediate neighbourhood of the listener, and, at the 
next, as if removed to some distance, and this without any 
Periodical 
visitant. 
Locality. 
