BLACK-CAP. 12Q 



centre of the belly and vent ; under tail coverts 

 yellowish-white. The female is rather /ess ih 

 size, but otherwise does not vary much in tne 

 shades of plumage. 



CURRUCA. 



CURRUCA, Bechstein. Generic cliaracters. 

 Bill straight, rather depressed at the base, 

 and very slightly notched, the tomia having 

 a slight inflection ; rictus sometimes weakly 

 bristled ; wings with the first quill short, 

 third longest ; tarsi not lengthened ; feet with 

 the sole widened, and fitted for perching. 

 C. atricapilla, hortensis, 8$c. 



Europe, Asia, Africa, northern principally. 



THE BLACK-CAP, CURRUCA ATRICAPILLA. 

 Motacilla atricapilla. Lath. Sylvia atrica- 

 pilla, Lath. Curruca atricapilla, Selby. 



Philomela atricapilla^ Swainson Black - Cap, 



or Black Cap Warbler of British authors. 

 This bird and the next are truly sylvan warblers, 

 living entirely in our woods and shrubberies, and 

 by their full-toned melody lessening our regret 

 for the want of the more gifted species we 

 have just described. The Black-Cap is a late 

 summer visitant, (though it has been occasionally 

 detected during winter,) but his arrival is imme- 

 diately betrayed either by his song, or by the few 

 peculiar notes warbled as he flits from bush to 

 bush. The voice is much clearer in tone than 



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