Crass. BLA CK-C AP. 
The female is diftinguifhed from the .male by the 
fpot on the head, which in that is of a dull ruft-co- 
lor. The black-cap is a bird of paffage, leaving 
us before winter. It fings very finely; and on | 
that account is called in Norfolk the mock-night- 
ingale. It has ufually a full, fweet, deep, loud 
wild pipe; yet the ftrain is of fhort continuance ; 
and his motions are defultory: but when that bird 
fits calmly, and in earneft engages in fong, he pours 
forth very {weet but inward melody ; and expreffes 
great variety of {weet and gentle modulations, fu- 
perior perhaps to thofe of any of our warblers, the 
nightingale excepted : and while they warble, their 
throats are wonderfully diftended. 
The black-cap frequents orchards and gardens, 
The laft {pring we difcovered the neft of this bird 
in a fpruce fir, about two feet from the ground ; 
the outfide was compofed of the dried ftalks of the 
goofe grafs, with a little wool and green mofs round 
the verge; the infide was lined with the fibres of 
roots, thinly covered with black horfe hair. There 
were five eges of a pale reddifh brown, mottled 
with a deeper color, and fprinkled with a few dark 
ipots. 
Ficedula, 
375 
