7 
SYLVIA Hippolais. 
The Lesser Pettichaps. 
S. Hippolais. Above greenish-brown, throat and breast 
dirty yellowish-white, breast and belly silvery-white, above 
and below the eyes a yellowish streak, quill and tail feathers 
dusky, with a dirty yellow margin. Turt. Brit. Faun, 
v. 1. p. 44. 
Bill dusky. Iris hazel. Chin whitish. Lower wing-coverts 
yellowish. Legs dusky. 
Length five inches ; extent nearly six inches ; weight near three 
drachms. Turt. loc. cit . 
This interesting little species is generally the first 
of the warblers that visits us in Spring, except 
S. CEnanthe, which occasionally precedes it. The 
earliest time of their arrival that ever I noticed, was 
the 12th of March ; some years, they do not visit 
us till towards the end of that month. I have fre- 
quently known several days of hard frost after their 
arrival ; so that it is not a very tender bird. On 
their first coming to this country, they are mostly 
seen on the forwardest trees in orchards or copses, 
flying from branch to branch, and from tree to tree, 
singing their curious song of Chiff-chaff, Chivvy - 
chavvy ; if the weather is fine and mild, they are 
continually in motion, flying after each other, and 
catching the gnats, and small flies, that happen to 
come in their way. This species, like the last, is very 
partial to the different sorts of Aphis, which infest 
the trees and plants in Summer. They are also fond 
of small caterpillars, flies, and moths ; on their first 
arrival, they feed chiefly on the larva of the different 
species of Tortrix that are rolled up in the unfolding 
d 2 
