the cramp, and weaken them. I also find that the 
Wood -Wren, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, 
and Reed Warbler, will wash so much in Winter, if 
the water is left continually in their cage, that it will 
weaken them very much, and frequently cause their 
death. It is, therefore, best to give them water in some- 
thing that they cannot wash in, allowing them to wash 
about once a week in the Winter, and that always in 
the morning of a fine day ; they will then be able to 
clean and dry themselves in good time. 
In a letter from the Honourable and Reverend Wil- 
liam Herbert, he informs me, that, “ two years ago, he 
saw beside a green lane, near Highclere, in Hampshire, 
a pair of Syiviadece in May, shaped like the White- 
throat, but nearly as large as a Nightingale, the under 
parts of a glossy ashy-whiteness, rather whiter than 
the belly of the Larger Whitethroat ; upper parts en- 
tirely rufous, with a dark streak over the eye ; they 
lighted frequently either on the fence, or on some of 
the lower branches of some Oak-trees, close to the 
fence, not concealing themselves, but continuing ex- 
posed to the sight, and remaining long in the same 
posture.” From the above account, I believe it to be 
a species, that I observed plentiful one Summer, a 
great many years since, in the gardens of Richard 
Bright, Esq. of Hamgreen, near Bristol, where they 
came to feed on the fruit and insects, particularly on 
the Raspberries ; they always came in with great velo- 
city, and generally several together, and were rather 
more shy than the Blackcaps, and other Warblers that 
were feeding there at the same time. I did not happen 
to catch either of them, nor was I particular about 
them at that time, not supposing but they were regu- 
lar, or, at least, frequent visitors, but I have never 
seen one of them since that season. 
S. Rubetra , or Whinchat. This species, and the Red- 
start, I find to be the most tender of any of the sorts 
that I have kept through the Winter, but they may be 
managed very well, by keeping them in a warm room 
in cold frosty weather. One that I possess at present 
is the most interesting bird 1 have ; it was taken from 
G 
