YELLOW WILLOW WREN, WOOD WARBLER. 
135 
INSESSORES. SYLVIA DJE. 
DENTIROSTRES. 
YELLOW WILLOW WREN, WOOD 
WARBLER. 
Sylvia sibillatrix. 
PLATE XXXVI. FIG. III. 
The Yellow Willow Wren is much more rare 
than the two allied species; its haunts are also different. 
Whilst the other two species are met with in every 
thicket and closely-tangled copse, this species frequents 
woods of a larger growth, and free from the thicker 
brushwood. 
The nest is placed upon the ground in woods, under 
a tuft of grass ; it is, like those of the willow wren 
and chiff-chaff, covered with a dome ; it is, too, like 
them, composed of moss, dried grass, and dead leaves, 
but differs from them always in being lined with fine 
grass and hair, instead of feathers. 
The eggs, which are usually seven in number, are, for 
the most part, similar to the accompanying figure ; 
they are sometimes more oblong in shape, and thickly 
freckled all over with claret-coloured undefined spots. 
I have one, which is sparingly marked, and much like 
eggs of the chiff-chaff, but with larger spots. 
I have often wondered at the difficulty which I have 
always experienced in obtaining eggs of this species, 
as well as those of the chiff-chaff. Neither of them 
are uncommon, especially in the south of England ; 
