These two birds have been, and are, frequently confounded, and with them the wood wren of this work; but this last is at once distinguished by the under tail-coverts being a pure white, and the plumage of a more lively green on the upper parts than either of the others. The nest, eggs, and notes, will be found also different by consulting and comparing the history of each. This is the first of all the migrative warblers (_Sylviadæ_) in its annual visit, and is, perhaps, the only one that has occasionally been observed with us during the winter, and that only in the milder parts of England. It is generally heard on or before the first of April repeating its song, if that may be so called which consists only of four notes, which seem to express the words _chip, chop, cherry, churry_, four or five times successively. It is a busy, restless bird, always active among the trees and bushes in search of insects. From its early cry in our neighbourhood, we long suspected it would be found that this hardy little bird did not wholly quit us, and in this opinion we were confirmed by seeing one in the garden about Christmas, 1806. In the following January, we observed two of these little creatures busied in catching the small insects which a bright day had roused in great abundance about some fir trees, by springing upon them from the ends of the branches, one of which we succeeded in shooting. Another, which we killed in 1808, on the same spot, while feeding upon a small species of _culex_, weighed one drachm thirty-three grains; this will easily account for the very early cry of this bird in the spring, as it is highly probable that they remain with us the whole year, but are wholly silent in the winter. The earliest we ever heard was on the 14th of March, 1804, when vegetation was unusually early. The nest of this species is oval, with a small hole near the top, composed externally of dry leaves, and then coarse dry grass, and lined with feathers; and is generally placed on or near the ground, frequently on a ditch bank, in a tuft of grass or low bush. The eggs are six in number, white, speckled with purplish red at the larger end only, with here and there a single speck on the sides. It seems to be the hardiest and most generally diffused of all our summer visitants; and is found in all parts of the kingdom where wood or hedges afford it shelter and food. Its note is heard long after the hay-bird is silent. Dr. Latham says this is called in Dorsetshire the hay-bird; but as we are inclined to believe the three species before mentioned have been confounded, it is more probable that our hay-bird should obtain that name, as its nest is composed of that material.