THK BLACKCAP i^ 



THE GARDEN WARBLER 



SYLVIA HORTENSIS 



Upper parts greyish brown, slightly tinged with olive ; orbits white ; below 

 the ear a patch of ash-grey ; throat dull white ; breast and flanks grey, 

 tinged with rust colour ; rest of the under parts dull white. Length five 

 inches and three-quarters ; breadth eight and a half. Eggs greenish 

 white, speckled with two shades of greenish brown. 



Though tolerably well dispersed throughout England, this bird 

 is by no means so abundant as the Blackcap, which it resembles 

 in size and habits, but it arrives later, coming early in May. It 

 is very local. Its song is httle if at all inferior to that of the bird 

 just named, and it is far from improbable that some of the sweet 

 strains for which the Blackcap gets credit, particularly late in the 

 summer, may be produced by the Garden Warbler ; I have heard its 

 song so late as the fifth of October. By some authors it is called the 

 Greater Pettychaps, by others the FanveUe, which latter name is 

 by some French ornithologists applied to the group containing this 

 bird and several allied species. Its nest and eggs are so like those 

 of the Blackcap as to be discriminated with difficulty. 



THE BLACKCAP 



SYLVIA ATRICAPILLA 



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

 wings, and tail 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 

 be3'ond 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 reasonable hour, it continues its song until a late period 

 of the season, long after that of the Nightingale has degenerated 

 to a croak. It has been compared to that of the Redbreast, but 

 it is more mellow and flute-like ; to that of the Thrush, but it is 

 softer and of more compass ; to that of the Lark, but it is more 

 varied. A practised ear wiU confound it with neither of these, though. 



