NATURE'S CAROL SINGERS. 



of short continuance, and his motions 

 are desultory ; but when that bird sits 

 calmly and engages in song in earnest, 

 he pours forth very sweet, but inward 

 melody, and expresses great variety of 

 soft and gentle modulations, superior 

 perhaps to those of any of our warblers, 

 the Nightingale excepted." 



Everyone who has heard and seen the 

 Blackcap will at once recognise the truth 

 and accuracy of this ; but, strangely 

 enough, Gilbert White never once men- 

 tions the Garden Warbler in his writings. 



The estimate of a wild bird's song is 

 like that of the voice of a public singer 

 — to some extent a matter of individual 

 opinion. Personally, though by no 

 means disposed to underrate the beauty 

 and power of the Blackcap's song, I do 

 not think that it approaches so near in 

 quality to that of the Nightingale, or 

 is so far superior to that of the Garden 

 Warbler as some observers appear to 

 believe. 



The Blackcap is a very shy, retiring 

 bird, preferring to be heard rather than 

 seen. The male takes his share of the 

 duties of incubation, and it is said that 

 he beguiles the tedium of his task bj^ 

 singing whilst sitting on the nest. I have 

 1 86 



