106 
sylviadj:. 
a reddisli-brown border, resembling the mark of a burn, 
Avhich charaeter is seldom wantin". 
O 
The manners of this species are light and lively, and 
■when singing it swells its throat and elevates its crest. 
Its feet and legs are small and short, and well adapted for 
perching. 
The male bird of this species is distinguished by its black 
hood, or cap, which, commencing near the base of the bill, 
covers the crown of the head. The nape and sides of the 
neck are fine bluish-grey; the tliroat and under parts are 
silvery or greyish-white ; the breast and flanks are tinged with 
peach blossom. The back and lesser coverts of the wings are 
grey, tinged with green, the rest of the wings and tail dusky 
brown. All the colours of the plumage are beautifully soft¬ 
ened one into the other, and the tail appears slightly forked 
when closed. The female is readily known from the adult 
male by her hood, which is of a reddish-brown colour; the 
rest of her plumage much resembles that of the male, but 
the feathers of the under parts are tinged with rufous-yellow. 
The beak is rather short, the nostrils are naked, and of 
a long oval form. The iris is reddish-brown. 
The entire length of the Blackcap is nearly five inches 
and three quarters : the wing measures two inches and 
three quarters, and the tail extends an inch and a half 
beyond it when closed. The beak is five lines from the 
tip to the forehead, and the tarsi measure nine lines. The 
first quill-feather is short, the third the longest in the wing. 
The egg of the Blackcap is figured 65. 
