WARBLER. 53 



beneath yellowish white, changing into pure white at the vent ; breast 

 tinged with red ; legs black. In the female the mark over the eyes 

 is rather obscure, and instead of the black mark under it, is a patch 

 of brown; and the tail not so deeply marked with white. This is a 

 migratory species, coming into England about the middle of March, 

 and departing in September : the females arrive first. It is known 

 by various names, as Fallow-finch, or Smich, White-tail, and Snorter ; 

 also Chickel, Hedge-chicker, and Chack-bird.*- 



In some parts of England they are in great plenty, and much 

 esteemed for the table ; but no where seen in greater numbers than in 

 Sussex, about Eastbourne ; are taken in snares made of horse hair, 

 placed beneath a turf, and being timid birds, the appearance of an 

 enemy, or even the motion of a cloud, will drive them for shelter to 

 these traps, and are then taken. The numbers, annually ensnared in 

 that district alone, amount to about 1840 dozens;f this is the profit of 

 the Shepherds, who frequent the plains with their sheep, and have 

 been known to fetch a shilling per dozen, formerly valued at sixpence. 

 Quantities of them are eaten by the neighbouring inhabitants, or 

 occasional visitors, others picked, and forwarded to the London 

 Poulterers ; and many potted, being as much esteemed in England 

 as the Ortolan on the Continent. 



The food is chiefly insects, and in wet summers feed much on 

 earth-worms, and I have likewise been told, that on opening them, 

 the stomach was filled with a small black curculio. J 



It chiefly frequents heaths ; but except in particular spots, only 

 a few scattered pairs are to be seen. The nest is usually under 

 shelter of a turf, clod, stone, &c. always on the ground, and not 

 unfrequently in some deserted rabbit burrow, composed of dry grass, 



* Orn. Diet. f It is observed at Eastbourne, that the flights chiefly consist of 



young birds, which arrive in greatest numbers when a westerly wind prevails, and always 

 come against the wind ; on the 15th or 16th of August, 1792, a Shepherd caught twenty- 

 four dozens, with only a few old birds among them ; and in another instance, eighty-four 

 dozens were caught in one day, by a single Shepherd. — Lin. Trans, iv. p. 17. 



% Sir Thomas G. Cullum, Bart. 



