CHAPTER XIV. 
THE MELODIOUS WILLOW WARBLER* 
(Hypolais hortensis , auct.) 
“ That cheerful one who knoweth all 
The songs of all the winged choristers, 
And in one sequence of melodious sounds 
Pours all its music.” 
Southey. 
One well-known species has of late been separated from 
the small group of true warblers. It is a pretty little 
creature, greenish on the upper parts, and brightish yellow 
underneath. Its true home is Central Europe, as far 
north as Sweden, whilst in the south it is replaced by 
other, but closely-allied, species. A bird of passage, it 
appears with us by the end of April or beginning of May, 
leaving again in the commencement of August. It is 
much more common in the lowlands than on the mountain 
side, though found on all intermediate elevations. It 
prefers copses and large gardens rather than woods, and 
though never met with in pine or fir woods it is very 
common where fir and pine are intermingled with the 
* Brehm calls, or rather miscalls, this species by the following names ,—Hypolais 
hortensis, alticeps, media and planiceps, — whereas the correct name is Hypolais 
icterina. I am indebted for this information to Mr. H. E. Dresser. My friend 
Mr. R. B. Sharpe, of the British Museum, also called my attention to this error on 
the part of Brehm. The German names are as follows : — Gartensanger, Bastard- 
nachtigall, Gelbbrust, Spottvogel, Spotterling.— W. J. 
