The Blackcap. 53 



sitting-room, and bringing up its young in that ex 

 situation. 



The Blackcap is a bird of passage, arriving in this country 

 in April, and taking its departure for a warmer climate in 

 September. It is one of the marvels of I^ature how so delicate 

 a creature should be able to travel such vast distances over 

 land and sea, as we know the Blackcap to accomplish: for 

 its winter quarters are in Northern Africa, numbers of the 

 species retiring to Madeira, where many of them remain all 

 the year round. Caged specimens of the Blackcap are apt, 

 in the migratory season, to become exceedingly restless at 

 night, causing thereby much commotion among the other birds 

 in the aviary: hence it is advisable to keep them separate 

 until they have quieted down again, which they generally do 

 in ten days or a fortnight. 



When wild the Blackcap feeds on insects of all kinds, 

 especially small caterpillars of the "looper" kind; but in autumn 

 it will eat berries, such as currants, elderberries, and so on, 

 and is particularly fond of a soft ripe pear. In the house 

 it must be fed on bread-crumbs or sponge-cake, grated carrot, 

 raw meat scraped, yolk of egg, and ants' eggs, adding such 

 insects daily as are procurable. It is rather a large eater for 

 its size, voiding in proportion; so that it becomes necessary 

 to clean out the cage every day; and it is a good plan to 

 cover its perches with baize. 



This bird is exceedingly fond of bathing, and should be 

 supplied with a bath, tepid in winter, suspended for a few 

 minutes every morning at the door of its cage. The latter 

 should have a piece of cotton or baize stretched below the 

 top, as recommended for the Lark, so that in rising to sing, 

 or when under the influence of the migratory impulse, it may 

 not hurt its head, as it would do by bumping it against hard 

 wood, or harder wire. 



Specimens caught in the autumn can generally be reconciled 

 to captivity by means of an abundant supply of mealworms, 



