DARTFORD WARBLER. 1381 
These birds appear, ‘sans doute,’ to live with us throughout 
the year, being seen even in mid-winter, as well as in the 
summer. 
In their habits they are very shy, concealing themselves, 
on being approached, in the cover on the open downs and 
waste places where they dwell, into which they creep in a 
quiet but secure manner. ‘They prefer those places where the 
furze is very thick, and also frequent thorn bushes. ‘They are 
capable of being kept in confinement, and are exceedingly 
active in all their movements, assuming a great variety of 
attitudes. They shew much anxiety for the safety of their 
young, using every art to allure intruders from the spot, 
almost suffering themselves to be touched before they move 
away. 
They fly with a short jerk, confining, for the most part, 
their movements to the bushes, to which they attach themselves. 
Their food consists of flies, grasshoppers and other insects, 
and the former of these are captured on the wing, sallied 
after from time to time from the tops of bushes, the station 
being again resumed. In confinement they are also frugiferous. 
The note, which has been heard so early as the end of 
February, in the year 1880, is described as weak and shrill, 
but often repeated, either when the bird is perched on some 
topmost or outside twig, or when hovering over the bush; 
it is sometimes continued for half an hour at a time. The 
bird has also a common ‘cha, cha, cha,’ or ‘tscha, tscha, tscha.’ 
The nest, which is slight in its make, is placed in a furze 
bush, to the stems of which it is attached, at a height of 
about two feet from the ground. It is built of dry stalks 
and grass, mixed with bits of the gorse; the materials are 
apparently but loosely put together, though in reality firmly 
eompacted, and have a slight interweaving of wool. 
The eggs are of a whitish erey ground colour, slightly tinged 
with green, speckled all over with olive brown and ash- colour: 
towards the larger end the markings are more run together, 
and form a sort of zone. 
Two broods appear to be reared in the year; for Montagu 
found the nest and eggs after the middle of July, and saw 
another pair of birds at the same time which had a nest near, 
the earlier brood being hatched early in May. 
Male; length, five inches or a little over; bill, slender, and 
nearly black, particularly towards the point; the edges of the 
upper mandible are reddish yellow, as is the base of the 
