id COMMON BRITISH BIRDS 



vanatieus. ' Pretty dick, pretty dick, pretty dick ' 

 is a favourite note, sometimes sounding like ' Wet 

 week, wet week, wet week.' A Blackbird, on the other 

 hand, actually whistles a stave of melody which it is 

 possible to express in terms of music. 



Nest. Dried grass, made firm and solid with mud, 

 and a coating of mud inside, on which is placed a 

 final lining of fine dried grass. In a hedge, often at the 

 bottom on the bank, sometimes on a beam in a shed, 

 and I have known one in the ground among a few short 

 nettles out in an open field. 



Eggs. Greenish-blue, with spots of reddish-brown, 

 the spots on some eggs very small, and scattered all 

 over the egg, on others larger and collected chiefly 

 at the larger end. 



Haunts. Found almost everywhere in the country. 



BLACKCAP. (S.M. Warblers.) 



Size. Sparrow. 



Colour. Male : crown of head glossy black. Upper 

 parts light olive-brown, wings and tail sepia-brown. 

 Throat and under parts ashy-white, tinged with brown 

 on flanks. Female : like the male, only the crown is 

 rusty-brown instead of black. 



Note. A bird that is usually heard singing in the 

 midst of foliage. Very pleasing song, containing some 

 very full rich notes, the latter generally coming bubbling 

 out after a few uttered more quietly. Much resembles 

 that of the Garden Warbler. Also a harsh ' charring ' 

 note like most of the Warblers. 



Distinguishing Feature. The black cap in the male 

 and the reddish-brown cap in the female. After a little 

 comparison the song may be distinguished from that 

 of the Garden Warbler by the richer notes. 



Nest. Fragile structure of dried bents lined with fine 

 grass, roots, and hairs placed in bushes, brambles, &c. 



Eggs. Usually dull white, blotched olive-brown and 

 grey. 



Haunts. Shrubberies, coppices, &c. 



BRAMBLING. (W.M. Finches.) 



Si_ze. -Sparrow. 



Cdlour. In winter, head, cheeks, and upper part of 

 back !f>lack, with the feathers edged sandy-brown. 



