THE GARDEN WARBLER. 185 



spection by Dr. Burkitt, represented a female or young male 

 black-cap : — on the 21st of August, 1834, one of these birds was 

 seen by this gentleman near Dunmore, county of Waterford. One 

 was shot on a hedge-row at the rectory of Dunmore, county 

 of Galway, and about seven miles from Tuam, on the 1st 

 of November, 1842. It had been observed there for the few 

 preceding days; the specimen was kindly forwarded for my 

 examination by the Rev. B. J. Clarke of Tuam. A female or 

 young male black-cap, in Mr. R. BalTs collection, was found dead 

 in his father's garden in the town of Youghal, in the second week 

 of January, 1838. Dr. Harvey mentions in the Fauna of Cork, 

 that he saw two of these birds in company in November, 1839, 

 both of which were taken. 



The wintering of the black-cap in Ireland, as shown in various 

 instances from north to south, is a singular circumstance. Being 

 generally considered one of the latest summer birds appearing in 

 England,* it may, I think, be fairly concluded that the occurrence 

 of an individual on the 1st of March, at which date one was obtain- 

 ed near Belfast, is rather indicative of a winter residence than of 

 an unprecedentedly early arrival. The black-cap has in a few in- 

 stances been procured in England during winter, t 



The bird described in Rutty* s Natural History of the County 

 of Dublin, vol. i. p. 317, as the " black-cap," is obviously not the 

 Sylvia Atricapilla. 



THE GARDEN WARBLER. 



Greater Pettychaps. 



Curruca hortensis, Bechst. 

 Sylvia „ Lath. 



Seems to be extremely rare in this island. 



The following observations on this species are copied from the 



* Mr. Henry Doubleday of Epping, remarks in a letter to a mutual correspondent 

 that he has often seen the black-cap in March, and therefore looks upon it as one of 

 the earliest summer visitants. 



t Yarr. B. B. vol. ii. p. 308. 2nd edit. 



