134 
WHITE-THROAT. 
to be truly arboreal and sylvan birds, shy and 
retired in their habits, and possessing a song of 
considerable compass and melody. That we are 
now about to describe, though true to the charac- 
ters in form, begins to vary in that of its habits : 
it is much less shy, and more active and lively, 
is more incessant in uttering the alarm note, 
while what may be called the song is not varied) 
and is held in little estimation for sweetness. It 
is also a species much more abundant, and is 
very commonly distributed over all parts of the 
country, frequenting hedges, whin covers, thickets 
of brushwood, the outskirts of plantations, and 
the garden ; but the older and more retired woods, 
and a country road or lane can scarcely be tra- 
velled during the early part of summer, without 
being enlivened by this pretty warbler, flitting 
out from the hedge or brushwood, uttering its 
few notes of alarm or song with erected crest,* 
and again for a short space concealing itself. 
At other times the song is uttered during a short 
and peculiar flight above its retreat, and which 
being completed, it descends, hides, and continues 
to utter a few low irregular notes in cover. The 
nest is also of the same careless structure with 
those of the two preceding ; indeed, this manner 
of building seems, to a certain extent, charac- 
teristic of all the cumiccB with which we are 
* This is a habit common in several species. The 
Blackcap does it constantly when flying, particularly when 
uttering its call note, and is a conspicuous ornament from 
its deep colour in the male. 
