



THE liLACKCAP. 



CURRUCA ATRICAPILLA. 



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

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

 nto^eyish white ; bill and feet black. Length fiveinches and a half : breadth 

 Pio-ht mid a half E<-"s pale greenish white, variously mottled with several 

 JiitL of b?own • sometimes phikish, 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 joyonsness 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 Englami, we do not hesitate to claim the second for 



.the Blaclcap. Its song is inferior in power and compass 



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



el.)ciuence 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- 



