28o 



British Cage Birds. 



parts of the belly, white. The wings and tail are dark 

 brown, edged with pale reddish brown. The exterior tail 

 feathers are white on the outer edge ; the inner web is also 

 white midway from the base ; the adjoining feathers on each 

 side have a white spot near the tips. The larger wing coverts 

 are dark brown, with a broadish border of russet or reddish 

 brown. The legs and feet are pale fleshy brown. 



Habits and Beeeding. — The Whitethroat is a bird of 

 passage, and is pretty generally distributed throughout Europe. 

 It is well-known in some parts of France, where it is named 

 Le Passerine. It arrives in this country about the middle 

 of April, and leaves again at the latter part of September, or 

 beginning of October, according to the mildness or otherwise of 

 the season, and the direction of the prevailing wind, for these 

 birds do not attempt to leave so long as contrary winds prevail ; 

 their instinct never appears to mislead them in this matter. As 

 in the case of the other varieties of the Motacilla family, the 

 males precede the females by about a fortnight in their migration. 



These birds greatly resemble Nightingales and Eobins in 

 their mode of living, as they are of a retiring and solitary 

 disposition, each pair selecting for themselves some particular 

 place or location ; and, when once settled, they defend their 

 circumscribed boundary with all their strength and vigour. 

 In selecting a mate, they act in a manner very similar to the 

 Nightingale ; but, unlike that bird, sing best after they have 

 found one. After mating, these birds retire either to a garden, 

 grove, thicket, common, some secluded bye-lane, or to a 

 well-grown hedge or bush, situated on the outskirts of a 

 plantation ; to a shrubbery, or other part of a gentleman's 

 pleasure ground ; or to the side of a hill thickly clothed 

 with brambles and underwood, or wild plants. They build their 

 nests near the river's edge, on the side of the bank, and some- 

 times in a low bush almost obscured by tall grass. Others 

 build in bulky, overgrown hedges, always near the bottom; or 

 just inside woods, among underwood or brambles, or in a 

 briar or wild rose bush. The nest is composed of dry grass, 

 hay, herbs, or moss, and is lined thinly with hair or feathers ; 

 it is somewhat deep, but rather loosely put together. The hen 

 lays from four to six (usually four or five) greenish grey eggs, 

 which are spotted with olive grey and reddish brown ; she 

 incubates fourteen days. 



