BRITISH WAEBLEES 



about \" in length. A clay later the feathers are bursting 

 and show the brown colour, the primaries being then about 

 \" in length ; and a faint high-pitched note is uttered on 

 the approach of the parents with food. The sixth day shows 

 but little alteration in their appearance, but by the seventh 

 day they become more restless, peck here and there, constantly 

 open their bills, flap their wings, and make efforts to struggle 

 one above the other. On the eighth day they are well feathered. 

 On the ninth day they are very active, frequently preening 

 their feathers, stretching their wings, and uttering their call 

 note. Some will now be found to be stronger than others, 

 and by more active struggling secure the topmost position. 

 Not all of them leave the nest at the same time ; the stronger 

 are the first to scramble away amongst the undergrowth and 

 on the ground, aided but little by their wings. At this age 

 they are difficult to find, scattered as they are in the dense 

 vegetation, but in a few days their wings are sufficiently 

 strong to enable them to perch amongst the bushes, and they 

 then sit close to one another on the same branch. Their call 

 note is uttered frequently or even continuously during this 

 period, but it is almost inaudible fifteen yards away. No doubt 

 when defecation has taken place, and hunger again asserts 

 itself, the uttering of the call note increases and enables the 

 parents to divide their attentions equally amongst their 

 offspring. 



The vocal powers of the male are remarkably developed. 

 In the life of the Blackcap I ventured to suggest that it was 

 difficult to conceive of more beautiful notes being uttered than 

 those produced by that species. However, a closer acquaint- 

 ance with the vocal powers of the Marsh Warbler compels me 

 to modify this statement somewhat. For us the aesthetic 

 value of a song is quite an individual matter, subject to 

 wide divergence of opinion. But for science it matters but 

 little so long as some common ground for agreement can 

 be found regarding that more important consideration, the 

 question of relative development. We ought, that is to say, 



54 



