BLACKCAP 



During the winter it visits the Soudan, Abyssinia, 

 Somaliland and British East Africa as far south as the 

 Eiver Athi. 



Solitary individuals remain in the south of England and 

 Ireland during the winter months. 



LIFE-HISTORY. 



There are many facts in the life of this bird which are 

 good examples of the contradictory nature of the evidence a 

 naturalist has often to face, and this makes the character of 

 the species an unusually interesting one. The different in- 

 dividuals are full of energy, very restless, and, in addition, 

 not only possess a number of characteristics common to many 

 of the lower animals, but possess them in a greater degree 

 than other closely allied species. Whatever part, therefore, 

 they have to play, whether quarrelling, singing, making pre- 

 parations for and tending their young, or exhibiting apparent 

 jealousy towards their neighbours, they do it to the best of 

 their ability. This is probably why they are so much in 

 evidence in the woods and groves they love to inhabit, and 

 this is also the cause of the endless peculiarities of character, 

 of which each member of the species partakes alike. 



Their arrival, which does not seem to depend upon any 

 climatic conditions here, but is no doubt influenced by the 

 prevailing winds outside the British Islands, is very erratic. 

 The earliest date I have noticed is March 30th, but on the 

 other hand, it has been as late as April 23rd before the first 

 one reached this district. 



The first males are solitary individuals scattered through 

 the country ; they might be called forerunners, since there 

 is often a pause of a few days before the general body of the 

 migrants follow. 



Until recently I believed that these males were always 

 mature, with both plumage and song fully developed, but I 



