THE BIRDS OF HAMPSHIRE. 
Gen u s — Melizophilns. 
20. Melizophilus undatus, Dartford Warbler. 
French Blackbird. 
A very local resident species. 
It is perhaps most numerous in parts of the New 
Forest district, and in certain localities is fairly common ; 
at one time it was particularly plentiful in the neighbour- 
hood of Bournemouth. 
Wise I says it " is sometimes very common in the 
forest, and is generally to be seen in company with the 
whinchat. In some years, as in 1861, it is scarce. I have 
its nest, with two eggs, in my collection, taken by Mr. 
Farren, on Lyndhurst Heath, April 29th, 1862 ; but it is 
always difficult to find, as the bird frequents, in the 
breeding season, the thickest part of the high furze." 
Mr. Meade- Waldo 2 writes : — " It is probably the only 
small bird, with the exception of the goldfinch, that has 
decreased in numbers during the last half-century, the 
restricted area of the furze covert, in which it alone will 
live, and the greed of collectors, having contributed to 
this circumstance. There is, however, a certain migration 
of this species, for on one occasion, when partridge 
driving in November, seeing a number of small dark 
birds flitting up in a dense piece of rape in front of the 
drivers, I walked out after the drive was over, and found 
them to be Dartford warblers in some numbers ; this 
was far from any common or furze of any extent." 
' "New Forest." 1862. 
= " Victoria History of Hants." 1900. 
