WOOD WARBLER. 
149 
the genus Sylvia, are all somewhat alike in form 
and plumage, but are at once easily recognizable 
to the ornithologist by their notes and habits. 
The one we are about to describe is generally 
distributed, though not very abundant in numbers, 
but it is considered even more rare than it is in 
reality, from its frequenting only aged woods, and 
generally feeding among the high and thick foliage, 
while the two following are found indiscriminately 
in young plantations and coppice woods. The 
Wood Warbler is a retired species, quietly seeking 
its food, consisting of insects and larvae, among 
the upper branches of the trees, and only occa- 
sionally singing its low sibilous note. When the 
vicinity of the nest is approached, it ventures 
nearer, and exhibits much anxiety, and constantly 
utters a single louder alarm note. The nest is 
placed on the ground, by the root of a tree or 
bush, and often on a sloping bank, and is formed 
nearly round, with a hole or opening outward ; it 
is composed of moss, withered leaves, and dried 
grasses, and is lined with hair or fine grass. The 
eggs, six or seven in number, are rather round in 
form, and are white, with purplish red spots. Jn 
England the Wood Wren, or Warbler, is distri- 
buted wherever the locality is suitable, stretching 
at least to the middle districts of Scotland, in 
apparently equal abundance. On the Continent 
it is in like proportions, the numbers decreasing 
northward ; and out of Europe we have it recor- 
ded as appearing in Egypt and Asia. 
