[99] It is a remarkable fact, that this bird, now so common in Thuringia, was a rarity there twenty years ago. This change cannot be attributed to climate or food. What is the occasion of it then?—Author.
[100] In sitting on house eaves, and singing in the autumn, it performs a similar part in Germany to the red-breast in Britain. No red-breast on the Continent becomes familiar about the house like ours; they keep always in the woods.—Translator.
[101] At a very advanced age the female acquires all the colours of the male, yet less bright, as I have observed of several birds. Such females do not breed afterwards, and in summer fly from place to place. This peculiarity is also observed in hen-pheasants.—Author.
[102] It is not found in Britain.—Translator.
[103] This I doubt.—Translator.
[104] Most certainly a mistake.—Translator.
[105] Sweet’s British Warblers.
[106] One of these pretty birds, which I had in my room one winter, ate with pleasure, and appeared to thrive upon, a very simple paste, made of the crumb of white bread dried in an oven and powdered: a teaspoonful of this was put in a cup, and three teaspoonfuls of milk, as hot as it could be made without boiling, poured over it.—Author.
[107] It is rare in Britain.—Translator.
[108] It is difficult to decide to what genus this species belongs; it has the characteristics of several. Its size, habit, food, mixed insects and seeds, even its pace, for when on the ground it rarely hops like the warblers, but runs quickly head forwards, like the quails, scarcely ever resting on trees; in all this it bears a relation to the larks. Now as there are larks that appear to form the link between that genus and the warblers, the Alpine warbler may be said to form one also between the warblers and the larks.—Translator.