THE YOUNG NATURALIST 



135 



a faint light streak extends from the bill to 

 above the eye ; under parts whitish ; legs 

 light brown, tinged with flesh colour. 

 The Female resembles the male, 

 Young. — Similar to the adults, but lighter 

 in colour. 



Varieties. — Mr. Bond has a dun-coloured 

 bird in his collection which is either this 

 species or the last. 



Note. — This too is a good songster, 

 enlivening the copse with its sweet melody. 

 Some even prefer it to the Nightingale. 



Flight. — Very similar to that of the 

 Blackcap. 



Migration. — a summer visitant, arriv- 

 ing at the end of April, and departing again 

 in September. 



Food. — Insects of suitable size, and 

 also berries of various kinds, and small 

 fruits. 



In Confinement it may be treated as 

 directed under Nightingale. 



HstbitSlt. — Found in woods, gardens, 

 and lanes, generally where there is a good 

 undergrowth of brushwood. It is not 

 uncommon in most English counties, rarer 

 in Scotland, and very rare in Ireland and 

 Wales. 



Abroad it is found in most parts of 

 Europe, but only in Summer in the northern 

 parts. Also in Asia Minor, Palestine and 

 parts of Africa. 



Nest— Mr. Geo. F. Wheeldon, of I 

 Birmingham, has sent me a nest of this j 

 species, from which the figures have been 

 taken. It is built among herbage or low 

 brambles, never at any great distance 

 from the ground. It is composed of dried 

 grass stems very loosely put together, and 

 lined with finer grass roots, wool, or horse- 

 hair. Sometimes the outside is interwoven 

 with cobwebs. 



Eggs* — The number is four or five. In [ 



size and form they resemble those of the 

 Blackcap, but the ground colour is whiter 

 and more of it shows between the shades. 

 The dark spots are darker and more numer- 

 ous than in those of the Blackcap, and are 

 always placed upon one of the olive shades, 

 which is not always the case with the latter 

 species. White eggs occasionally occur. 



43. WHITETHROAT. 



Sylvia cinerea, Lath. 

 CiNEREA. — (L.) ash-coloured. 



Size. — Length, about 5^ in. ; expanse, 

 about 82 in. 



Plumage.— Bill brown, yellowish at 

 the base of the lower mandible ; eyes bright 

 hazel ; fore and upper part of head bluish 

 grey ; back pale brown ; greater and lesser 

 wing coverts and secondaries brown, edged 

 with pale reddish buff; primaries darker 

 brown ; tail brownish grey, the outer webs 

 of the outer feathers white and rounded at 

 the end ; throat white ; breast and under 

 parts pale brownish white, tinged with rose 

 pink ; legs pale brown. 



The Female is similar, but not so bright 

 in the colours as the male. 



The Young. — Similar but duller in tints. 



Varieties. — Mr. Bond has three white 

 specimens and one pied in his collection. 



Note. — This is a very lively bird and a 

 most incessant songster, though its song 

 consists of but few notes. It begins to sing 

 soon after its arrival in this country. It 

 generally sings from some elevated perch 

 on the top of a bush, but sometimes it hovers 

 over the bush in a jerking manner, singing 

 at the same time. 



Flight. — The flight is rather quick and 

 hurried. 



Migration. — a summer visitor, arriv- 

 ing in England towards the end of April, 

 and departs by the end of September. 



