84 CHIFF-CHAFF. 



des Roseaux (Sylvia arundinacea.) — Bec-fin a poitrine jaune, Temm. Man. 

 d'Orn. 1. p. 222.— Le Grand Pcmillot, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. p. 369.— Gele- 

 baiickiger Sanger, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 1. p. 246. — Bechst. Tasschenb. 

 Deut. 3. p. 173. sp. 10.— Lesser Pettychaps, Br. Zool. 1. No. 149.— Lath. Syn. 

 4. p. 413. 3.— Ib. Supp. 2. p. 236.— Lewin's Br. Birds, 3. t. 101.— Pult. Cat. 

 Dorset, p. 9. — Mont. Orn. Diet. — Ib. Supp. — Least Willow-Wren, Bewick's Br. 

 Birds, 1. p. 232. — Sweet's Br. Warblers, 7. — Regulus hippolais, Flem. Br. 

 Anim. p. 72.— Selby, pi. 47. fig. 1. p. 186. 



Provincial. — Chip Chop. Choice and Cheap.* 



Weighs about two or nearly three drams ; the length varies from 

 four inches and a half to five inches. 



This species is nearly the same size as the hay bird. In its plumage 

 it so much resembles that bird, that we shall only make mention here of 

 some essential marks of distinction, and refer our readers to the hay bird. 



Its general colour is not so much tinged with yellow, and the legs 

 are dusky, which in the other are brown. 



The plumage of the sexes are alike. 



These two birds have been, and are frequently confounded, and with 

 them the wood wren of this work ; but this last is at once distinguished 

 by the under tail coverts being a pure white, and the plumage of a 

 more lively green on the upper parts than either of the others. The 

 nest, eggs, and notes, will be found also different by consulting and 

 comparing the history of each. This is the first of all the migrative 

 warblers (Sylviadce) in its annual visit, and is, perhaps, the only one that 

 has occasionally been observed with us during winter, and that only in 

 the milder parts of England. It is generally heard on or before the first 

 of April repeating its song, if that may be so called, which consists only 

 of four notes, which seem to express the words chip, chop, cherry, churry, 

 four or five times successively. It is a busy, restless bird, always active 

 among the trees and bushes in search of insects. From its early cry in 

 our neighbourhood, we long suspected it would be found that this 

 hardy little bird did not wholly quit us, and in this opinion we 

 were confirmed by seeing one in the garden about Christmas, 1806. In 

 the following January we observed two of these little creatures busied 

 in catching the small insects which a bright day had roused in great 

 abundance about some fir trees, by springing upon them from the ends of 

 the branches, one of which we succeeded in shooting. Another which 

 we killed in 1808 on the same spot while feeding upon a small species of 

 culex, weighed one dram thirty-three grains ; this will easily account 

 for the very early cry of this bird in the spring, as it is highly probable 

 that they remain with us the whole year, but are wholly silent in the 

 winter. The earliest we ever heard was on the 14th of March, 1804, 

 when vegetation .was unusually early. 



