British Birds. 
IS 
plentiful here [Cleethorpes, Lines.] during July, August, and Septem- 
ber). I have caught as many as nineteen iu one day, and after 
selecting two or three pairs of each kind, liberate the remainder. Quite 
ninety per cent, of these warblers take kindly to cage life from the first. 
I do not coddle them ; they are placed in roomy cages, three or four in 
each, and they feed from the first on gentles, fruit, and soft food. They 
eat very little soft food for a few days, but afterwards partake of it 
freely, bananas, ripe pears and apples are gladly eaten. Gentles I am 
convinced are a valuable food for adult birds, but must not be used 
until they are thoroughly cleansed. I use clean dry sand for scouring 
purposes changing the sand at least three times on as many days before 
using them. 
The Lesser Whitethroat is by no means delicate, the drawback 
however to -wintering outdoors is its inability to stand a damp cold 
atmosphere. If kept dry under cover it is not apparently either sick 
or sorry, with 20 degrees of frost (actually in bird room), outside it 
is more difficult to handle. I have a pair at the present time which I 
left out in 1906 until December 20th. During the few previous days 
there had been sharp frosts ranging from 8 to 13 degrees, and noticing 
them both quite lame I removed tliem to my bird shed, and upon 
examination tlieir feet were found to he badly frozen. The cock has a 
deformed toe caused by the frost, but is otherwise in perfect condition 
and a great favourite. 
In the aviary they are always on the move. When you approach 
they are alert, and if a stranger goes near tliem they will sit upon a 
twig ahnost upright craning their necks and scolding ; they sing most 
of the day during the summer. They are peaceful except amongst 
themselves, and I have never noticed them interfere with other birds. 
Although upon more than one occasion nests have been built, I think 
the keeping of more than one pair has stood in the way of any definite 
result. 
At liberty, the nest, a shallow structure of dried grass lined with 
hair, is frequently found in brambles and small bushes, hazel, etc., 
which this species appears to greatly favour as a nesting site ; to this 
habit it owes its popular name, viz., Hazel-Linnet. The clutch varies 
from 5 to 6, and incubation takes place in May. The eggs are creamy 
white, blotched and spotted with brown and grey. 
Description. — Adult Male: Top of head, smoke-grey ; nape, back, 
and tail coverts, brownish-grey ; lores and ear coverts, dark brown ; 
wings, ashy-brown with most of the feathers margined and tipped with 
