RURAL BIRD LIFE. 



of singing, you must steal a march upon him by noise- 

 lessly creeping amongst the dense undergrowth, and, 

 provided you advance with cautious step and slow, your 

 wish will be gratified. You find he sings as he wanders 

 over the branches in his search for insects, or remains 

 stationary for minutes together, engaged in pouring forth 

 his notes, his little throat quivering, his head turning 

 from side to side, as if conscious of your presence, and 

 his jet black plumage contrasting richly with the golden 

 greens of the vernal vegetation around. And then how 

 beautifully this little creature modulates his music ! We 

 hear a soft plaintive note, sounding as though its author 

 were a hundred yards away : gradually it rises in its tone : 

 we think the bird is coming nearer : louder and louder 

 become the notes, till they sound as if a Blackbird, Song- 

 thrush, Wren, Robin, and Warbler were all singing to- 

 gether. We happen to cast our eyes in the branches 

 above us, and there we see this little blackcapped song- 

 ster, and after watching him, we find that all these lovely 

 notes, low and soft, loud and full, come from his little 

 throat alone, and when at the same distance from us. 

 The Blackcap is erroneously thought by some to be a 

 mimic or imitator of other species. In his song I can 

 trace notes of the Wren, Robin, Thrush, and Blackbird, 

 but from this circumstance I must not set him down as 

 an imitator of those species, simply because some of his 

 notes happen to resemble theirs. The Starling is the 

 same, and however much this bird will imitate other 

 species when in confinement, still I am convinced that in 

 fercB naturce, his notes though resembling other species, 

 are strictly his own. 



Though the Blackcap arrives here so early, still wc 

 seldom find his nest before the latter end of May and 

 beginning of June. We must seek it in the most 



