152 CHIFF-CHAFF WARBLER. 
decreases in numbers, reaching the Scottish bor- 
der, but extending very short way beyond it ; we 
have heard it once or twice of late years in our 
own neighbourhood, but have no trace of it 
beyond the Firth of Forth. In Ireland it 
occurs, though not so numerously as the last.* 
Norway is the most northerly European station 
we know of, f and Mr Strickland observed 
it at Smyrna. The habits are very similar to 
those of the last, and so are the situations in 
which it is most frequently found. The call note 
is constantly repeated while searching for its food, 
and it has another low anxious note when the nest 
is approached. It has been observed so early as 
February and March, and at this time finds sus- 
tenance from the insects which attack the blossom 
buds of trees, particularly those of the orchard. 
Its nest is placed on the ground, or a short way 
above it, in some tuft or bush as instanced by Mr 
Hewitson, and is even a larger ball-shaped fabric 
than those we have yet noticed, warm and closely 
lined with feathers. The eggs are smaller, but 
of similar shape and colours. 
Upper parts oil green, tinged with gray ; the 
eye streak faint and undefined ; wings and tail 
hair brown, edged with yellowish white; the 
under parts pale primrose yellow, shading into 
the oil green on the sides of the neck, and without 
any deeper tint on the breast; under wing coverts 
rich sulphur yellow ; legs deep blackish brown ; 
Thompson. 
t Hewitson. 
