2O BRITISH BIRDS. 



25. Sylvia atricapilla (Linn.). BLACKCAP. 



Hab. Whole of Europe, excepting extreme north ; also 

 Palestine and North Africa. In winter migrating to 

 Africa. 



Male : crown black ; nape ash-grey ; upper plumage 

 greyish-brown ; throat, breast, and flanks greyish ; centre 

 of abdomen white ; bill brown ; iris brown ; tarsi slate. 

 Length 570; wing with 3rd quill longest. Female: 

 plumage browner than in male ; crown reddish-brown. 

 Young at first resemble female. 



Arrives during third week of April, departing in Septem- 

 ber. Commonly distributed throughout England and 

 Wales, becoming very scarce, however, towards north of 

 Scotland ; in Ireland breeds locally in nearly every county. 

 Frequents woods, thickets, orchards, gardens, etc. ; rather 

 slight but compact nest, being placed in a small bush, 

 clump of brambles, or tangled hedge, at height of from 

 i to 4 or 5 feet ; composed of dry grass, with some dead 

 bracken, moss and spiders' cocoons, lined neatly with 

 fibrous roots, dry grass, and horse-hair. Eggs : 4 or 5 ; 

 some yellowish or greyish-white suffused with pale brown, 

 and with darker nuclei or spots of the same ; others 

 almost uniform warm reddish brown, with a few darker 

 mottlings and one or two blackish spots. Size 75 by '58. 

 First eggs laid in May, and a second set in June or July. 

 Song closely approaches in excellence to the Night- 

 ingale's. A few individuals sometimes pass the winter 

 in the south of Ireland and England. 



26. Sylvia hortensis, Been. GARDEN WARBLER. 



Hab. Europe, north to lat. 65, but somewhat locally 

 distributed. In winter south to Cape Colony. 



Male : entire upper plumage light brown tinged with 

 olive ; an indistinct pale streak above eye ; wing-quills 



