•278 THE BIRDS OF HELICxOLAND 



the end of August and during September, it is met witli abundantly 

 in the high bushes of gardens, and during the autumn migration in 

 the potato-fields. Its numbers, however, never come up to those of 

 the Whitethroat. 



This bird breeds from Portugal to the Ural chain, and in Scan- 

 dinavia advances beyond the Arctic circle. 



99. — Blackcap [Monchgeasmucke]. 

 SYLVIA ATRICAPILLA, Brisson. [Linn.]. 



Heligolandish : Swart-hoaded V ngev = Blachheaded Warbler. 

 Sylvia atricapUla, Nauinann, ii. 421. 

 Blackcap. Dresser, ii. 421. 



Bee-fin a Ute noire. Temminck, Manuel, i. 201, iii. 131. 



This species visits Heligoland in small numbers only, and ma}- Ije 

 met with almost daily, in tolerably fine weather, from the first weeks 

 of April until the middle of May, but only solitary individuals arc 

 seen ; the same applies throughout October and November. I have 

 even seen the birds as late as on the 5th and 18th December. 

 During both migration periods it frequents almost exclusively the 

 upper twigs of thorn- and eldor-bushes in gardens from fifteen to 

 eighteen feet high ; in the autumn the bird feeds very voraciously 

 on the ripe elderberries. 



Only on one occasion have I heard the beautiful song of this bird. 

 It was early in the morning, and the songster was hidden, seciu'c 

 from all intrusion, in a high and thick thorn-hedge. I was thus 

 enabled to listen with rapture to its song, the first loud flute-like 

 notes of which really made me believe it proceeded from a Nightin- 

 gale. I confess with regret that when this song ceased the spring 

 of Heligoland appeared to me poorer than ever before. 



The Blackcap nests abundantly from Portugal, includes in its 

 range the Azores and Canary Islands, aiid extends through the 

 whole of Europe as far as the Ural ; but its northern range hardly 

 reaches beyond central Scandinavia. 



100. — Sardinian Warbler [SchwarzkOpfige Gkasmucke]. 



SYLVIA MELANOCEPHALA, Gmelin. 



Sardinian Warbler. Dresser, ii. 401. 



Bcc-fin mclanoccjihala. Temiuinck, Manuel, 1. 203, iii. 132. 



Reymers is my only authority for including this species in the 

 avifauna of Heligoland, he having obtained one many years ago. 



