41 



THE BLACKCAP. 



Sylvia atricapilla (L.) 



The Blackcap, although a numerous and generally 

 distributed species, does not, according to our evidence, 

 migrate in large numbers, but a few arrive daily for a 

 considerable period. The earlier arrivals quickly settled 

 down in the southern counties, but it was some little 

 time before their breeding-haunts in the north were 

 populated. 



Disregarding a few early stragglers which were noted 

 during the last days of March and beginning of April, 

 they first began to arrive along the whole of the south 

 coast on the 9th and 10th of April, and from then 

 onwards a gradual daily increase was apparent in the 

 southern counties, the birds spreading by degrees 

 northwards after April 14th, Cheshire and Suffolk being- 

 reached on the 15th, Lancashire on the 24th, and Durham 

 and Yorkshire on May 1st and 2nd. We may note 

 that the species spread along the west of England more 

 rapidly than along the east, Yorkshire and Durham being 

 reached a week later than Lancashire, and Cambridge 

 a week after it had been recorded from Cheshire. 



The only large immigration took place at the same time 

 as that of several other species on the 24th and 25th April 

 in Dorset, and a further wave was recorded two days 

 later from St. Catherine's Lighthouse in the Isle of Wight. 

 The birds of this movement may be traced to Somerset 

 on the 29th, Salop on May 1st and North Wales on the 

 4th ; while at the same time an increase is noted at 

 Cambridge on May 1st. 



The records after May 1st were so generally distributed 

 that it is impossible to determine for how long a time this 



