3IO OUR SUMMER MIGRANTS. 



upon the Blackcap, the majority relate to its 

 appearance in the second week of April, and it 

 would seem that in the case of this species, the 

 further north we go, the later the date of its 

 arrival. At Torquay it was observed on the 

 yth, Marlborough on the loth. East and West 

 Woodhay, Berks, on the 15th, Barnsley on the 

 1 6th, Burton on the 23rd, and Melbourne, 

 Derbyshire, on the 27th. No record was fur- 

 nished of its occurrence either in Scotland or 

 in Ireland, where it is at all times a rare bird. 

 It was last seen at Nottingham on Nov. 4. The 

 Blackcap, however, does not invariably quit this 

 country in autumn ; many instances of indivi- 

 duals having been seen here in mid-winter have 

 been reported by competent observers. It has 

 occasionally happened, however, that the Coal 

 Titmouse {Parus ater), which is a resident 

 species, has been mistaken for this bird. 



In the West of England, during the year re- 

 ferred to, the Redstart seems to have made its 

 appearance somewhat earlier than usual, having 

 been noted at Bishop's Lydeard, near Taunton, 



