WHITETHROAT 
during this period I think I can make my meaning some- 
what clearer. The male I refer to arrived on April 30th—the 
lateness of the date being due to inclement weather—and the 
female the following day, May Ist. 
May 1st.—Female Whitethroat arrived. Male very excited, 
warbling incessantly and often flying round the female and 
precipitating himself on to her after his manner. Female 
spreads her tail and flaps her wings on his approach. Male 
never leaves her for long, and often, when following her, 
picks up and carries a piece of dead grass, but he also does 
this when alone, and has now been carrying some to a honey- 
suckle bush in which he has finally dropped it. 
May 2nd.—Male very excitable, flying at the female and 
singing as usual. The precipitous flight is of frequent occur- 
rence, and the female once flapped and quivered her wings 
on his approach. When alone the male carries dead grass 
to the same place as yesterday. Upon examining this place 
I found a nest quite formed. Female joined the male while 
he was building. 
May 8rd.—Male not so excited. Female keeps close to 
him, the one calling to the other as they wander along. 
There is a frequent quivering of the wings and flirting of 
the tail on the part of the female. Male was sometimes 
close to the nest. 
May 4th.—Male and female together. The female some- 
times follows the male; male sometimes the female. The 
precipitous flight occasionally takes place. ‘The male is rather 
more excitable than yesterday. 
May 5th.—I could not see the female for some time, but 
she at last approached the male. Male has been warbling 
excitedly some distance away from the female. ‘The excite- 
ment is not so intense as formerly. I saw no precipitous 
flight. 
May 6th.—Male and female following one another. No 
very great excitement. The precipitous flight once occurred. 
Both of them have been collecting dead grass, and the male 
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