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DARTFORD WARBLER 



this they became more partial to than even grasshoppers, but they 

 afterwards preferred bread and milk, with pounded hemp-seed only, to 

 every other food ; the smaller house or window flies excepted. 



" Before these birds left their nest, I put them into a pair of scales, 

 and found that they weighed about two drams and a quarter each. At 

 this time they ate, in one day, about one dram and a quarter each, so 

 that in two days each consumed more than its own weight. Such a 

 repletion is almost incredible, and doubtless greatly beyond what the 

 parent birds could usually supply them with, which by observation 

 appeared to consist of variety, and not unfrequently small moths 

 (Phalcence ;) their growth, however, was in proportion to the large 

 supply of food. 



" This interesting little family began to throw out some of their 

 mature feathers on each side of the breast, about the middle of August, 

 and the sexes became apparent. At this time they had forsaken their 

 grasshopper food, feeding by choice on the soft victuals before men- 

 tioned. The nestling attachment of these little birds was very conspi- 

 cuous towards the dusk of the evening, for a long time after they had 

 forsaken the nest ; they became restless, and apparently in search of a 

 roosting-place, flying about the cage for half an hour, or until it was 

 too dark to move with safety, when a singular soft note was uttered by 

 one which had chosen a convenient spot for the night, at which instant 

 they all assembled, repeating the same plaintive cry. In this interest- 

 ing scene, as warmth was the object of all, a considerable bustle ensued, 

 in order to obtain an inward birth ; those on the outside alternately 

 perching upon the others, and forcing in between them. During this 

 confusion, which sometimes continued for a few minutes, the cuddling 

 note was continually emitted, and in an instant all was quiet. 



" Nothing can exceed the activity of these little creatures ; they are 

 in perpetual motion the whole day, throwing themselves into various 

 attitudes and gesticulations, erecting the tail and crest at intervals, ac- 

 companied by a double or triple cry, which seems to express the words 

 cha, cha> cha. They frequently take their food while suspended to the 

 wires with their heads downwards, and not unusually turn over back- 

 wards on the perch. The males, of which there were three out of the 

 four, began to sing with the appearance of their first mature feathers, 

 and continued in song all the month of October, frequently with scarcely 

 any intermission for several hours together. The notes are entirely 

 native, consisting of considerable variety, delivered in a hurried manner, 

 and in a much lower tone than I have heard the old birds in their 

 natural haunts. The song is different from any thing of the kind I 

 ever heard, but in part resembles most that of the stone-chat. 



