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is only a variety. Mr. Godman writes (Ibis, 1866, p. 95) as follows: — "A curious variety is not 

 unfrequently met with [in the Azores], having the black marking on the head extending to the 

 shoulders and round under the throat. I only saw one individual, which was in a cage with a 

 common Blackcap. It appeared to be slightly larger, though in other respects the same, with 

 the exception, of course, of the dark markings. I was told that some individuals have the whole 

 of the underparts of the body black. The story current in the Azores with regard to them is, 

 that when the parent lays more than four eggs, one bird always proves to be this variety. In 

 Fayal it is known by the name 'Avinagreira,' a term given to the Redbreast in St. Michael's." 



To the eastward the Blackcap is found as far as Persia. Major St. John says that he shot a 

 specimen in an oak-forest near Shiraz in 1864, and picked up a dead one in the mission garden 

 at Tehran. Mr. Blanford did not see it in Persia; but Menetries noticed it in the forest at 

 Lenkoran, on the Caspian; and De Filippi saw it at Delidian, just north of the Persian frontier, 

 between Tiflis and Tabriz. 



In habits the Blackcap reminds one much of the Garden Warbler. It is found in gardens, 

 groves, and non-evergreen woods where the underwood is tolerably dense, but not in the dense 

 forests, though it is not unfrequently seen on the outskirts of these latter when the tree-growth 

 is somewhat varied. Where, however, there are small plantations and shrubberies in the vicinity 

 of inhabited places, there one is almost sure to meet with it ; but it avoids open places, and is 

 rarely seen away from a shrubbery or wood. It arrives usually in April from its winter quarters, 

 and leaves again for the south in October, being a true migrant, and evidently unable to sustain 

 existence during the winter in Northern and Central Europe. It frequents the upper branches 

 of moderate-sized trees and thickets of bushes, and appears to shun observation by keeping under 

 shelter of the foliage, amongst which it hops and passes with ease, keeping its body somewhat in 

 a horizontal position ; but on the ground it is rather clumsy in its movements, and hops heavily 

 about, showing that it is far less at home there than amongst the branches. When alarmed or 

 surprised it jerks the tail and elevates the feathers on the crown somewhat; but, as a rule, it is 

 by no means a shy or very timid bird, though it is extremely peaceable and lives on excellent 

 terms with the other species which inhabit the same district. It flies unwillingly, except short 

 distances ; and its flight is not very swift, but resembles, to some extent, that of a Thrush. When 

 on passage it is said to fly quicker, its flight being tolerably direct. Though usually seen amongst 

 the foliage, it appears fond of sunning itself in the early morning, and will then perch on some 

 elevated open standing spray and enjoy the genial rays of the sun with evident pleasure. Its 

 call-note is a somewhat sharp note, resembling the syllables tack, tack, or teck, teck, uttered 

 quickly ; and its alarm-note is a harsh low call like the syllable sharr. Its song is rich and very 

 sweet, not much below even that of the Nightingale in melody, soft and mellow, reminding one 

 somewhat of the song of the Thrush or of the Robin. It sings very constantly, and is therefore 

 much more frequently heard than seen. When singing it is usually perched on some elevated 

 spray; but if it finds itself watched or if disturbed it instantly dives down into the thicket. 

 Macgillivray, whose description of the song of birds is always so truthful and well rendered, 

 writes respecting the vocal melody of the Blackcap as follows : — " Listen to those strains that 

 issue from the midst of that broad plane tree, so loud, so clear, so melodious, so modulated, so 

 surpassingly beautiful, if one may so speak, that surely no bird ever sang so sweetly. It is a 



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