THE BLACKCAP. 



CURRUCA ATRICAPILLA. 



Top and back of the head black, in the female chocolate colour ; upper parts, 

 wings, and taU ash-grey, slightly tinged with olive ; neck light grey passing 

 into greyish white ; bill and feet black. Length five inches and a half; breadth, 

 eight and a half. Eggs, pale greenish white, variously mottled with several 

 shades of brown ; sometimes pinkish, mottled with light purple, and speckled 

 with dark purple. 



Whatever difference of opinion there may be as to the 

 character of the Nightingale's song — whether it partakes 

 more of joyousness or of melancholy — the gladsomeness of 

 the Blackcap's warble is beyond all dispute. Conceding to 

 the Nightingale the first place among the warblers which 

 visit England, we do not hesitate to claim the second for 

 the Blackcap. Its song is inferior in power and compass 

 to that of the bird of night, but there is about it a delicious 

 eloquence which makes it irresistibly charming. White 

 of Selborne describes it as " full, sweet, deep, loud and 

 wild ; " high but not unmerited praise. If there are no 

 vocal efforts to astonish, there are no piteous wailings to 

 distress, and though the bird retires to rest at a reason- 



