374 THE BLACKCAP. 



from the cap which covers the top of the head. As in the 

 male this cap is black, while in the female it is reddish brown, 

 and as the latter is often the larger bird of the two, many bird 

 catchers have fallen into the error of considering them two 

 distinct species, which they denominate respectively, the Black- 

 capped and Redcapped "Warbler (grasmiiche}. The result, how- 

 ever, of the observations which I have made for many years on 

 this bird, both in a wild state and in confinement, is, that the 

 difference is only one of sex. It is about the size of the 

 Linnet, being five inches ten lines in length, of which the tail 

 measures two inches and a half. The beak is five lines long, 

 shaped like that of the Nightingale, and horn blue, except in 

 the inside, and at the root of the lower mandible, where it is 

 white. The iris is chestnut brown ; the feet dark grey, and 

 ten lines in height. The top of the head is black ; the cheeks 

 and nape of the neck light grey ; the upper part of the body 

 and the wing coverts ashen grey, mottled with olive green. 

 The under part of the body is light grey, inclining to white on 

 the throat and belly ; the sides and shanks are the same colour 

 as the back ; the vent and the under side of the wings are 

 white, spotted with grey; the pen and tail feathers dark 

 brown, edged with the colour of the back. 



The female, as I have before remarked, is a little larger ; 

 the top of the head is yellowish brown ; the upper part of the 

 body reddish grey, tinged with olive green ; the cheeks and 

 throat light grey ; the sides and shanks pale grey, with an 

 olive green gloss ; the belly reddish white ; the pen and tail 

 feathers dark brown, edged with the colour of the back. 



The plumage of the Blackcap is very soft and silky, and it 

 is rare to see one in the aviary, whether confined in a cage, or 

 allowed to range the room, which has not injured its wing 

 and tail feathers. I once caught a white variety of this bird, 

 which, on the upper part of the body, was mottled with olive 

 green. 



Habitat. The Blackcap is at home all over Europe, and 

 frequents woods, or gardens at no great distance from them. 

 It is especially fond, like the Nightingale, of the bushy under- 

 wood. It begins to prepare for migration about the middle of 

 September ; and finally takes its departure at the end of the 

 same month, returning in the middle of April, a few days 

 before the Nightingale. 



