WOOD WARBLER. 115 
movements are quick, dexterous, and facile in gliding over 
and among the branches in quest of its prey. It is lonely 
and unsociable as to any intercourse with its fellows. It 
frequents trees for the most part, even those of large size. 
Its flight is rapid and undulating. 
Their food is composed of insects and their larve, the 
former being sometimes captured on the wing, and both 
sought for as well among the branches and foliage of trees. 
Mr. Weir has seen one dart against a large humble bee with 
an audible blow, and the insect having fallen towards the 
ground, repeat the attack. 
The song, uttered from a twig, or the very top of the 
tallest tree, is, though simple, very sweet and beautiful. It 
is at first rather slow, but afterwards becomes more hurried, 
and is accompanied by a curious shaking of the wings, and 
a slight upward movement of the tail: when the bird first 
arrives, it is kept up nearly throughout the day. It resembles 
the syllables ‘twee, twee, twee,’ and is continued at intervals 
till about the middle of September, the time of its leaving. 
It may be heard a very long way off. ‘It seems not without 
considerable exertion that these sounds are uttered, as the 
little singer may be seen with its throat inflated, the feathers 
of the head and neck erect, the wings drooping, and the 
little beak directed upwards and vibrating with the jarring 
expression of the notes thus disengaged.’ The note is some- 
times uttered while the bird is on the wing from place to 
place, as also when descending from the spray to which 
it had arisen. They have also a sibilous trill, from whence 
one of the specific names—a ‘tzit, tzit;’ and during the time 
they are engaged with their young, when the song is inter- 
mitted, a dull and plaining sort of call—a mournful ‘tweet.’ 
The nest, which is domed, and of an oval shape, cleverly, 
but not thickly, interwoven, is almost always placed on the 
ground, among herbage in woods, the entrance being through 
a small hole in the side. It is made of grasses, leaves, and 
moss, lined with the finer parts of the first and hair. ‘It is 
well concealed, and is usually to be found on the side of 
some slope, where the sun’s rays gaining transitory admittance 
through the boughs above encourage the vegetation, and 
dispe! the dank and humid atmosphere which otherwise would 
prevail in such a place. Mr. Sweet says that he has often 
found the nest on the stump of a tree. 
The eggs, six, or more commonly seven in number, are of 
