By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 



175 



white slightly tinged with rose red : in habits it resembles its con- 

 geners previously described ; but it has one peculiarity, which 

 consists in its often singing on the wing, as it rises with a very 

 peculiar flight, sailing round in little circles, till it attains a con- 

 siderable height in the air, and then descends slowly to the same 

 spot whence it started : at other times it will erect its crest, puff 

 out its throat, stretch its neck, and exhibit every mark of excite- 

 ment and defiance, while it seems to strain every nerve to raise its 

 voice above its rivals. 



" Lesser Whitethroat." (Curruca sylviella.) Quite as common 

 in Wiltshire, if not more so, than the last, with which it is often 

 confounded. Indeed the eggs of this and the preceding species 

 form a large proportion of the whole on every schoolboy's string, 

 a table by the way of no mean authority in calculating the abund- 

 ance or rarity of any species in any particular locality. It is even 

 more retiring than its larger namesake, and creeps away out of 

 sight among the brambles the instant it is discovered, threading 

 its way with the rapidity and adroitness of the mouse. From the 

 peculiar character of its note, a low soft warble, it is called the 

 "Babbling Warbler," and by Continental naturalists, "C. garrula," 

 and " Bec-fin babillard'" and from the clicking sounds with which 

 it repeats its call-note, somewhat resembling a mill-wheel, it is 

 styled in Grerman "Miillerchen," or "Little Miller." Montagu 

 says that he observed the arrival of this bird in Wiltshire for seve- 

 ral years together, and that it ranged from Apr^} 21st to May 10th. 



"Wood Warbler." (Sylvia sylvicola.) Extremely difficult is it 

 to identify this pretty little bird from its two congeners, more par- 

 ticularly from the one next to be described: both are graceful and 

 elegant, and frequent woods and plantations; both have a plumage 

 of grey green above and primrose yellow below : both feed on in- 

 sects, and sing sweetly from the top of some tall tree. There are 

 however several marks by which we may distinguish them ; on 

 close examination, we shall find that the wood warbler has a purer 

 green on the upper parts of its body, and more white on its under 

 plumage, while the willow warbler has more yellow: and again, 

 the nest of the wood warbler is always lined with fine grass and 



