THE BLACKCAP. 47 



to have taken place in the local distribution 

 of many species of birds. This is notably the 

 case with the Blackcap and Garden Warbler, 

 both of which have followed cultivation, and 

 now are found commonly in localities where 

 twenty years ago they were either unknown or 

 stated to be extremely rare. 



The Blackcap, like the Nightingale, appears to 

 migrate almost due north and south, and ranges 

 from Lapland to the Cape. It is resident in 

 Madeira, the Azores, and the Canaries, and is 

 also found throughout the year in Northern 

 Africa and Southern Italy. In the fine col- 

 lection of African birds {Passeres and Picarice) 

 belonging to Mr. R. B. Sharpe, I have seen 

 a specimen of the Blackcap from Senegal. In 

 Spain and Portugal it is found only on the 

 migration in spring and autumn. Mr. God- 

 man, in his interesting work on the " Natural 

 History of the Azores," has described a curious 

 variety of the Blackcap which is found in these 

 islands, " having the black marking on the head 

 extending to the shoulders and round under the 



