28 OUR FAVOURITE SONG BIRDS 



and then fluttering into the air to seize a passing 

 insect. 



To the casual observer the Blackcap generally 

 proclaims itself by its song. The males appear to 

 arrive a day or so before the females, but as soon 

 as the latter come music begins, and is continued 

 with almost undiminished vigour until the end of 

 June, the song finally ceasing for the year early in 

 July. The song, however, is never given forth so 

 vigorously as in the first few weeks of spring ; the 

 bird then seems literally overflowing with music and 

 warbles almost continuously the livelong day. He 

 is by no means a retiring singer, but may often be 

 watched in the less tangled branches, now low down 

 in the underwood, anon high up the trees. Not 

 only does he sing whilst sitting on some branch, but 

 as he flits from one spray to another, and even 

 occasionally whilst on the wing. If disturbed from 

 one place he will immediately flit off to another at 

 no great distance and recommence his song at once. 

 Of all the Warbler band the Blackcap, to our mind, 

 is the most splendid singer, and his melody is 

 absolutely unrivalled. The notes, clear and flute- 

 like, pour forth in a perfect torrent of wild, sweet 

 melody full of the most pleasing variations, and so 

 loudly uttered that the listener is often led to think 

 that a much larger and more powerful singer is 

 producing them. Often the very nearness of the 

 song is absolutely startling, and as we stand 



