84
THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
stead Park, where the wood echoes in early summer with its fine song." Round
Orsett it is uncommon (Sackett). At Harwich it is " scarce," though it breeds
(Kerry).
Garden Warbler : Sylvia hortensis.
A fairly-common summer visitor, coming to us about the begin-
ning of May and leaving again late in September. It breeds through-
out the county, though rather sparingly.
It is not infrequent in the Forest and in Wanstead Park, where "it used
to be common about the avenues " (Buxton—47. 90), At Harwich it is "scarce,"
though it breeds (Kerry).
Dartford Warbler: Melophilus undatus.
A resident, but uncommon and very local, though it breeds
in most of the southern counties, and even occasionally as far
north as Sheffield. I am only
aware of three occurrences
in Essex, though careful search
on some of our furze-covered
commons might reveal the
bird, as it is exceedingly shy
and retiring in its habits.
The Parsons Collection contains
a male, shot on South Shoebury
Common in Nov. 1837. Mr. Travis,
in June, 1880, received for preser-

DARTFORD WARBLER, 1/2.
vation a specimen shot near Saffron

Walden. Mr. Charles Smoothy shot
a specimen, which is now in his collection, at Great Chesterford, on the Cambridge-
shire border, on Dec. 5th, 1870. Mr. Harting (38. 17) gives no Essex localities.
Gold-crest: Regulus cristatus.
A resident throughout the county, though not common. Its
numbers are often greatly increased in autumn by the arrival
of flocks from elsewhere.
Dr. Derham informed Albin (3. i.
98) that it built its nest " every year
in fir-trees growing before his house at
Upminster, in Essex, and that with
great art, hanging them [s/e] under
the branches in some thick obscure
part thereof." Mr. Clarke says (24),
it used to be " rather common round
Walden," and on Oct. 9th, 1880, I saw
many in gardens there, probably new
arrivals. At Sudbury, Mr. Grubb says
(39), it is " constantly with us." Mr.
Buxton describes it (47. 91) as " com-
gold-crest, 1/2. mon" [in Epping Forest] "throughout