71 



THE BLACKCAP. 



Sylvia atricapilla (L.). 



The Blackcap entered the country along the south coast, 

 but mainly from Hampshire eastward. 



The earliest arrivals reported were one in Surrey on ilio 

 22nd of March, two in Kent on the 29th and one in Glamoroan 

 on the 31st, while a few stragglers were recorded during 

 the first week in April in Kent, Sussex and Worcester, but 

 no migratory movement of any magnitude took place until 

 the 11th. From that date until the end of the month there 

 appears to have been a steady though not very large influx 

 of birds, which were distributed over the country as far 

 north as Yorkshire. With the commencement of May the 

 numbers of migrants increased considerably. Many Blackca])s 

 were reported at St. Catherine's light. Isle of Wight, on the 

 nights between the 1st and the 6th, and a good number were 

 reported at Dungeness light on the night of the 3rd/4th. 

 By the middle of the month the majority of this species had 

 arrived, though an increase in Sussex on the 25th, followed 

 by a decrease on the following day, may have indicated a 

 fresli immigration. 



Westmoreland and Cumberland were reached on the 16th 

 of May, and an increase was reported from the former county 

 on the following day, while the usual number of breeding 

 birds had arrived by the 22nd. Blackcaps were nesting in 

 Devonshire on the 22nd of April, and nests with eggs were 

 found in Somerset and Sussex on the 9th of May. 



Chronological Summary of the Records. 



March 22nd. Surrey. 

 29th. Kent. 

 ,, 31st. Glamorgan. 



