2486 Birds. 



cowers or squats down on the ground. The wood warbler is sparingly 

 scattered over the champagne country, but pretty plentiful in the 

 woods of Calke and Donnington, though it is not found in all our 

 woods. It is certainly a delightful little bird. His song is neither 

 musical nor varied, and yet it is so clear and wild that it seems a fit 

 accompaniment to the unfolding spring : if watched during its deli- 

 very, the delicate musician seems gently agitated; he shivers his 

 wings, stretches his silken throat, and appears to undergo considerable 

 emotion : he gives forth his notes, then waits a few moments, picks 

 up a grub from a leaf or examines a blossom, and then gives out 

 again the same series of sounds. His song ceases July 12. 



Chiff-chaff {Sylvia hippolais). The chiff-chaff haunts the Don- 

 nington woods, the thickets about Calke, and the tall noble pine trees 

 in Melbourne gardens, coming oftentimes before the trees have made 

 an effort to bud, and continuing with us until the fall of the leaf, and 

 occasionally afterwards. He is a blithe, cheerful bird, throwing off 

 his two notes — which fall most pleasantly on the ear — on the tops of 

 the tallest trees : when they are heard we have the assurance that fine 

 w 7 eather is at hand and early flowers are springing. He keeps close 

 to the woods during the summer, and is rarely to be seen in the cham- 

 pagne parts of the neighbourhood. During the mild winter of 1846, I 

 was frequently on the listen to catch the notes of this merry bird, 

 thinking he might be induced to linger with us; but neither then nor 

 in any other genial winter could I detect his existence in this neigh- 

 bourhood. 



Dartford Warbler {Sylvia provincialis). A pair was shot off the 

 top of a furze-bush half covered with snow, on Melbourne Common, 

 during some very severe weather, in the winter of 1840. The birds 

 appeared hardy and lively in their manners. 



Gold-crested Regulus {Regulus auricapillus). In Melbourne gar- 

 dens these birds are very abundant, even in the severest seasons, 

 sporting on the tops of the loftiest pines, haunting the noble ever- 

 greens, and in summer hanging their curious nests on the lower sides 

 of the yew-branches. They are amusive, interesting little birds, hop- 

 ping about the plants and bushes, twisting themselves in fantastic 

 attitudes, and displaying to advantage their burnished crests. To- 

 wards December we receive accessions to our resident birds, which in 

 particular seasons cause these birds to be very numerous. They de- 

 part again towards March. During summer the resident birds keep 

 much to woods, and are little seen, but towards October creep out 

 into the open country, and seem partial to low alder and willow- 



