44 
CAG^ AND SINOliro BIRBS. 
space of ground, scattering tlierein a few meal-v/ormS; and 
placing limed twigs around it. 
This bird has a harsh call note, resembling Jdap, hlapy 
Jdap ! which it is fond of repeating, and hence in Germany- 
has been called the Little Miller ; but it is a sweet songster 
for all that ; its notes, though weak, have in them much of 
melody and variety; Bechstein says, surpassing in these 
qualities all other warblers ; but in this we cannot agree 
with him. This author describes it as a very delicate bird, 
but our experience does not lead to such a conclusion. We 
have heard of its being kept through several winters without 
appearing to suffer from the cold. This bird may be reared 
from the nest, and fed upon bread and milk and bruised 
hemp-seed, with a few insects occasionally. If carefully 
tended it will become very tame and familiar, drinking milk 
out of a spoon, and exhibiting the like marks of confidence ; 
and even returning to its cage after being allowed to fly in 
the garden for awhile, and feast upon the insects. We have 
known an instance in which the bread and milk plan of rear- 
ing has been tried and failed ; the brood, three in number, 
all died. A second experiment, made with four, in which 
meal-worms and raw lean meat were used, was more suc- 
cessful. 
THE ARBOUR BIRD. 
This biid is also called the lesser pettichap, and is 
one of the very earliest of the warblers which visit us 
in the spring, having been noticed as early as the 
12th of March. Although a small bird, being but five 
inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures 
two and a half, and delicate -looking, it must be in 
reality a hardy bird, as it has sometimes to endure very 
inclement weather after its arrival. On first coming to this 
countr}^, it resorts to the most forward trees in orchard, 
garden, or coppice, where it may be seen flying briskly 
from branch to branch, and picking out the larva of the 
various kinds of beetles which infest the buds, uttering the 
while the curious cry, which sounds like chiff-clmff* chivy- 
chavt/, from whence the country people, in many places, 
call the bird chiff-chaff ; it is also known as the least 
