80 WHITETHROAT.

is both lively, sweet, and loud, and consists of a great
variety of notes. One that I at present possess, will
sing, for hours together, against a nightingale, now in
‘the beginning of January, and will not suffer itself to
be outdone. When the nightingale raises its voice, it
does the same, and tries its utmost to get above it,
Sometimes, in the midst of ifs song, it will run up to
the nightingale, and stretch out its neck, as if in defiance,
and whistle as loud as it can, staring it in the face; if
the nightingale attempts to peck it, away it is in an
instant, flying round the aviary, and singing all the time.
In a wild state, the present species generally visits hedges
and gardens. It arrives in this country about the middle
of April; and is often heard singing in a thicket, or in
the middle of a hedge; sometimes it mounts up in the
air a little way, or flies from one hedge to another,
singing all the time. It is readily taken in a trap baited
with a living caterpillar or butterfly. One that I caught
last spring, sang the third day after being in confinement,
and continued to sing all through the summer; but this
was most likely in consequence of a tame one being
with it, which also sang at the same time.

In their native state, these feed chiefly on small insects
and a few sorts of fruit, strawberries and raspberries in
particular. They are very partial to the different species
of aphides, with which almost every tree is covered
some time or other in the summer; they are also very
fond of the smaller species of butterflies, and the common
house-fly. They soon take to feed on bruised hemp-
seed and bread, and also on’ bread and milk; I have
known them to feed on it the day they were caught.”’