67 



THE BLACKCAP. 



Sylvia atricapilla (L.), 



This species arrived along the wliole of the south coast. Two 

 were seen in Hertfordshire as early as the 31st of March and 

 one in Cumberland on the 1st of April. Stragglers (mostly 

 single birds) occurred in various counties up to the 22nd, 

 but with the above exception they did not extend further 

 north than Suffolk and Cambridge. On the night of 

 the 22nd/23rd of April about a dozen were observed at 

 St. Catherine's light (Hants), forerunners of a very large 

 influx at the same light on the nights of the 25th/26th, 

 28th/29th and 29tli/30th, when great numbers were seen 

 and many killed. Further arrivals took place in Kent and 

 Devonshire on the 1st of May and in Hampshire on the 

 2nd and 6th, leading to a general rise in numbers particu- 

 larly in the western counties. By the latter date the bulk 

 of our summer-residents had arrived and after the 15th of 

 the month there was but little movement until the 22nd, 

 when there was a large influx into Somerset followed by 

 a great decrease on the subsequent day, evidently due to 

 the passage of a belated band of migrants that had landed 

 in the west. 



Nests Avith eggs were found in Cambridge on the 8th 

 of May, in Surrey on the 15th, in Kent on the 19th, in 

 Glamorgan and Derby on the 20fch and in Yorkshire on 

 the 21st. 



Chronological Summary of the B,ecords. 



March 31st. Herts. 



April 1st. Cumberland. 



„ 8th. Surrey. 



