36 SARDINIAN WARBLER. 



nearer the sea, where it fed on the berries of the ar- 

 butus, which ripen well in that country, the shrub itself 

 growing wild. I first heard its song on the 27th. of 

 January, but it did not get into full song till March. 

 Its manners are just like those of our Whitethroat in 

 this respect, as the male will sing from a bush, and then 

 dart off in a jerking flight into the air, still singing. 

 They have also a rather harsh note, like the chut-chut 

 of the Blackcap, but louder and repeated more frequently. 

 I did not find a nest till the 22nd. of April, when I 

 saw one in a juniper bush, among some pines on broken 

 ground, and much exposed. It contained three young 

 birds and a rotten egg. The nest is much like that of 

 our Common Whitethroat, being made of straw and 

 dried bents of grass, with a few roots and pine twigs, 

 lined with fine grass bents. The nest measured three 

 inches and a half across the top; depth inside two inches. 

 The egg is nine lines long by six wide; yellowish 

 green ground, with several darker spots all over it. We 

 watched the pair of old birds for some time, and saw 

 both come with food for the young; and on one occa- 

 sion, on going up to the nest, the female behaved as 

 our Partridges do, — ran along screaming on the path, 

 with her wings fluttering as if hurt — the oidy instance 

 of this in small birds I have ever seen myself, although 

 I have heard of it, I should suppose from the occur- 

 rence of this nest so early, they have two broods in 

 the year." 



The adult male has the forehead, vertex, and back 

 of the head as far as the nape, velvet black. This 

 passes off gradually into the slate-blue grey of the rest 

 of the upper parts; wings dusky black. The outer tail 

 feathers bordered and tipped with white. The throat, 

 belly, and cheeks bluish white, with the flanks darker. 



