398 BRITISH BIRDS. 



Shy and wary as the Blackcap is, still in the nesting-season it is 

 often most trustful, or, rather, allows its love for its eggs and young 

 to master its otherwise shy disposition. When the old birds are sitting 

 (either the male or female, for both may be observed to do so) , they will 

 allow a very near approach ere gliding from the nest. When thus 

 disturbed the parent bird, especially if it be the female, manifests its 

 displeasure by uttering harsh hissing notes, and will sometimes approach 

 within a few feet of the observer, with feathers ruffled, full of anger at 

 his intrusion. Dixon has more than once observed the male Blackcap 

 sing when sitting on the eggs ; and he was often led by the cock bird^'s 

 song to the nest ; for the bird warbles some of his loudest strains from 

 the twigs that support it. It is doubtful if the Blackcap rears more than 

 one brood in the year; but should the first nest be destroyed, the old 

 birds will renew their attempts to rear a brood, usually building a fresh 

 nest close to the site of the previous one. 



Although the Blackcap feeds to a very great extent on insects, these 

 are by no means its only food. It is probably more of a fruit and berry 

 feeder than any other of our Warblers ; and it is doubtless owing to this 

 circumstance that the bird occasionally remains in our islands through the 

 winter. In addition to insects it feeds ou all kinds of garden fruit, such 

 as currants, raspberries, and gooseberries, and also on cherries ; and after 

 these fruits are over, it eats the berries of the ivy and the mountain-ash. 

 Upon its arrival here in April the Blackcap may sometimes be seen re- 

 galing on the last year's ivy-berries which still remain. Its young are 

 largely fed on caterpillars and grubs ; and it is sometimes seen to pursue 

 and capture an insect on the wing. It is said by Irby to feed on the 

 seeds of the " pepper-tree " [Schinus nioUe) ; and Kriiper states that in 

 July and August, when the figs are ripe, it comes in great numbers to the 

 trees. 



The Blackcap ceases to sing as soon as the young are hatched ; and it 

 is consequently difficult to determine the precise date of its departure. 

 A great many Blackcaps undoubtedly leave our shores in September— 

 possibly all our indigenous birds, except the few stragglers tempted to 

 remain during the winter ; and it may be observed that the males are the 

 first to leave in autumn, as they are the first to arrive in spring. 



The Blackcap has the general colour of the upper parts bluish grey 

 slightly suffused with olive-brown, especially on the margins of the quills 

 and tail-feathers; the forehead and the crown are black. The underparts 

 are pale bluish grey, shading into white on the centre of the belly ; the 

 axillaries and the under wing-coverts are white. Bill dark brown ; legs, 

 feet, and claws bluish grey ; irides hazel. The female differs from the 

 male in having the black on the head replaced by rusty brown. After the 

 autumn moult the upper parts in both sexes are more suffused with brown. 



