BLACKCAP WARBLER. 83 



must breed in their winter quarters, or the supply could 

 never be maintained. Mr. Blyth, however, declares 

 " that migratory birds, with the exception of two species 

 of Sand Martin, do not even pair until they have 

 returned to their summer haunts." 



It seems almost too much to hope that this famous 

 songster will ever be naturalized in Ireland. And so, 

 for the present at least, we must content ourselves with 

 the strains of the Sedge Warbler, " the Irish Nightin- 

 gale," or the simpler ditty of the Hedge Sparrow, which 

 the Dutch call " Boeren Nachtigall," "the Farmer's 

 Nightingale." I trust, however, that many of my 

 readers may be privileged to hear the Nightingale, as I 

 have, in England or elsewhere, and, as they listen to 

 those " sweet descants," join with " rare old Izaak " in 

 saying, " Lord, what music hast Thou provided for the 

 saints in heaven, when Thou affordest bad men such 

 music on earth ! " 



BLACKCAP WARBLER. 



Sylvia atricapilla ; Fauvette a tete noire ; Schwarzkopf. 



Bill and feet, black ; head and crown, black, but in 

 the female, chocolate-brown ; back, brownish ash-colour ; 

 breast, ash-colour, white lower down ; tail, brown and 

 somewhat forked. Length, over five and a half inches. 



This delightful songster is unhappily very rare in 

 Ireland. Mr. Thompson mentions several instances of 

 its occurrence in different localities, and tells us that he 

 heard its song for the first time in Shane's Castle Park, 

 County Antrim. He says : " When accompanied by 



