HABITATION.--When wild this species is found throughout Europe, except the north. It is common in the hedges in Germany, disappearing in September, and returning the middle of April. Its taste for currants often draws it to the garden hedge. It is not very often seen in young coppice wood, scarcely ever on trees[97], continually on low bushes. In the house it must be lodged like the fauvette, and taken the same care of; it is so delicate, that when taken rather old it can rarely be preserved. FOOD.--When wild it is the same as the preceding species. In the house these birds cannot be kept long, unless fed on nightingales' food, mingled with ants' eggs and meal-worms. BREEDING.--The nest is generally found on a thick gooseberry bush, or white-thorn, and on young fir trees in fir woods. It is formed of coarse dried grass, lined with small roots mixed with hogs' bristles. There are five or six eggs, white, spotted at the large end with grey and yellow brown in a circle. The female's attachment to her brood may be known from her dropping from her nest almost fainting as soon as any one approaches, uttering anxious cries, fluttering on the ground, and slowly retiring from the nest. Scarcely are the young ones fledged, when, if looked at, they will dart like an arrow from the nest, and run and hide themselves among the bushes. If you wish to rear them, they must be taken as I have directed for the fauvette, remembering that the male and female cannot then be distinguished. DISEASES.--These are the same as in the fauvettes. MODE OF TAKING.--If snow should fall after their return, a place near a hedge should be cleared, and limed twigs fastened to the lower branches; after having thrown meal-worms there, the birds should be gently driven towards it, and for the sake of the worms they will creep under the limed twigs, and remain caught. ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--Though the plumage is not very striking, yet this bird is very pretty. Some clacking tones, rather like the noise of a mill, have given it in Germany the name of the _little Miller_; as these notes are heard more distinctly than the others, they are erroneously thought to be its whole song; but the rest, certainly very weak, is so soft, so varied, so melodious, that it surpasses other warblers. Whilst singing in this under tone it is continually hopping about the bushes, but when going to utter _clap, clap_, it stops and employs the whole strength of the larynx to pronounce this syllable. To enjoy the beauty of its song it should be alone in a room, and then no other singing bird is more agreeable, as it rarely utters its call. MR. SWEET'S ACCOUNT OF THE BABILLARD.