194 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



hood, but, according to Mr. Seebohm, its westward range is the 

 7oth degree of east longitude. It is found in the Caucasus 

 and Western Persia, and winters in North-eastern Africa and 

 Senegambia. * 



Habits. The Blackcap arrives in this country at the end of 

 April or early in May, and apparently begins at once to build 

 its nest, as we have found hard-set eggs as early as the i2th of 

 May. Its song, more sustained than that of the Nightingale, 

 rivals, if it does not surpass, that of the latter bird's, and the 

 song generally commences in the same way first a few notes, 

 sounding some distance off, and then bubbling forth into beauti- 

 ful and sustained melody. Both male and female take turns at 

 incubation, and Mr. Dixon says that the former even sings 

 while sitting on the eggs. This we have never heard, but we 

 have several times found the male bird sitting on the nest, and 

 generally loth to quit his charge. When disturbed, the bird 

 flits off suddenly and quietly, retiring into the bushes and 

 scolding vehemently in the usual harsh voice of the Warblers. 

 The female, on the other hand, will evince great anger, and 

 often come close to the intruder, scolding and hissing. The 

 birds, if often disturbed, will forsake the nest, even when the 

 eggs are far advanced towards hatching, and will also not lay 

 eggs in a nest if the latter be much disturbed by touching it. 

 The food of the Blackcap consists chiefly of insects, but also 

 of a few berries, and many observers believe that the latter 

 constitute more of its food than insects. In the autumn they 

 devour elderberries to a great extent, and on migration they 

 even stop in the suburban districts of London, and may then 

 be seen in small parties on the elder-bushes. The Blackcap 

 undoubtedly remains sometimes in the warmer parts of Great 

 Britain during the winter, being enabled to subsist by the 

 abundance of berries. 



Nest. This is placed in various situations, in brambles, in- 

 hedges, and small bushes, and in the branches of small trees in 

 the undergrowth. We have also found it in the "growers " of 

 an elm-tree in a dark, ever-green shrubbery. In the British 

 Museum is a nest, found by ourselves, in Sussex, suspended in 

 a privet-bush overhanging a ditch, at a very little height from 

 the ground. The nest is a slightly-made, cup-shaped structure, 



