WARBLER. 69 



crown the feathers are elongated, of a fine orange-colour, bounded 

 on each side with black ; the upper parts of the body yellowish 

 green, the under rufous white, tinged with green on the sides ; wing 

 coverts dusky, crossed with two white bands; quills and tail feathers 

 dusky, edged with pale green, and some of the inner with blackish 

 edges; legs yellowish. 



In the female the crown of the head is yellow, instead of golden 

 orange ; and all the head feathers shorter. The young birds do not 

 gain the yellow feathers and crest till autumn.* 



This, apparently delicate species, is found in England at all 

 seasons, and is more common than is generally imagined ; but escapes 

 notice, perhaps from its diminutive size. It bears cold admirably 

 well, and is found even as far north as Shetland ; but after breeding- 

 there, returns southward in autumn, and it probably does the same, 

 in countries far north, but in a moderate clime is never found to 

 migrate, f 



It seems to prefer oak trees, for I have more than once seen a 

 brood of these, in a tree of this kind, in the middle of a lawn, and the 

 whole little family with the parents, about ten in number, from their 

 continual motion, gave great pleasure to all who viewed them. The 



In the same song too, the Redbreast gives his reasons for going to church. 



If Than the Redbrest, his tunes redrest 

 And sayd now wyll I holde 

 With the churche, for there out of the ayere 

 I kepe me from the colde 



If Te per Orbem Terrarum in usum Sarum 

 He sange cum gloria 

 Sancta was nexte and than the hole Texte 

 Confitetur Ecclesia. 



* Orn. Diet. f It is perhaps rather from defect of insects, than mere cold, that 



the bird is obliged to change place, yet that they are met with out at sea is manifest ; as the 

 late Mr. Boys mentioned to me, that one flew on board a ship in the Downs, April 8, 1797 ; 

 and we are told, that the same thing has happened off the Coast of Japan. 



