I was in possession of a handsome male bird of this species, which I kept more than six years. It became very tame, though an old wild bird when first caught, and it was so attached to its cage, that one day, having got its liberty, it flew away into the gardens, where it stayed six or seven hours, after which it returned to its cage again. In the year 1825 I saw a female bird of this species so late as the 21st of November, flying about as lively as at midsummer; it had probably escaped or been turned out of a cage. When in confinement it is particularly partial to ants' eggs, and also to the common maggots. THE ARBOUR BIRD. Sylvia polyglotta, RANZANI; Sylvia Hippolais, BECHSTEIN; Le Bec-fin à poitrine jaune, TEMMINCK; Die Gelbbrust, BECHSTEIN; Die Spotvogel, WICHTERICH. This pleasing bird, which is met with wherever there are groves and bushes[102], is five inches and a half in length, of which the tail measures two and a quarter. The beak, seven lines long, is straight, blunt, bluish grey above, and yellow tinged with flesh-colour beneath, with yellowish corners, and the entrance of the throat citron yellow; the iris is dark brown; the shanks, ten lines high, are lead-coloured. The head is pointed in front; the back, rump, and lesser wing-coverts, are olive ash grey; a yellow line extends from the nostrils to the eyes; the whole of the under part of the body is a fine light yellow; the tail and wings are dark brown; the secondary quill-feathers have so wide a white border that it forms a spot on the closed wings. HABITATION.--In its wild state it frequents orchards, groves, and brambles; but with us it seems to prefer small woods that are interspersed with resinous trees. It arrives the end of April, and quits us as early as the end of August, before the moulting season. In the house it is kept in a nightingale's cage, in which no change must be made, still less must another be given it, for it would not survive these disturbances. It is so delicate, that if taken when full grown it is almost impossible to tame it. FOOD.--When wild its food is all kinds of insects, smooth caterpillars, flies, gnats, &c.; and if these are scarce, berries[103]. In the house it prefers these insects and meal-worms. It is only with great patience and management that it can be given a taste for the nightingale's food. In general it will eat nothing but insects.