60 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



Power, writing in 1868, says: "One remained about the 

 garden at Rainham, in Kent, till September 16, singing 

 occasionally, but feebly, up to the last." 



On the authority of Mr. Morris, in his History of British 

 Birds, under the heading " Blackcap," one has been killed 

 in Kent in January. 



On January 14, 1907, Mr. H. Elgar, of the Maidstone 

 Museum, writes : " I thought you would like to know of 

 the occurrence in Maidstone of a Blackcap. For some 

 days past I had noticed a strange bird in the garden 

 where I hve (Upper Fant Road), and yesterday afternoon 

 it came near enough for me to see it was a female Black- 

 cap. It was feeding close to the back door with the 

 following birds : Blackbird, Thrush, Hedge-Sparrow, 

 Chafhnch, House-Sparrow, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, 

 Coal Tit, Marsh Tit and Starling. I saw it again this 

 morning at breakfast-time." 



Note upon the Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla). — " It 

 seems to be an undecided question amongst naturalists 

 whether this pretty little warbler does or does not remain 

 with us during the winter months. There is considerable 

 reasonableness apparently to be said on either side, pro 

 and con ; at the same time I do think, when one reflects 

 upon the nature of the bird under discussion, its usual 

 food, &c., that to any observant and clear-sighted judge 

 the evidence must appear stronger in favour of the latter 

 than the former, i.e., rather against its wintering here, 

 either as a regular, ascertained fact, or as a very common 

 occurrence. As a motive for my thinking thus, I would 

 state an experience which caused me to come to this 

 conclusion in respect to Sylvia atricapilla's residing in 

 our leafless bowers during the coldest portion of the 

 year. Living in a retired and beautiful village not far 



