OF SELBORNE. 177 



The black-cap has, in common, a full, 

 sweet, deep, loud, and wild pipe ; yet that 

 strain is of short continuance, and his mo- 

 tions are desultory ; but when that bird sits 

 calmly and engages in song in earnest, he 

 pours forth very sweet, but inward melody, 

 and expresses great variety of soft and 

 gentle modulations, superior perhaps to 

 those of any of our warblers, the nightin- 

 gale excepted. 



Black-caps mostly haunt orchards and 

 gardens ; while they warble their throats 

 are wonderfully distended. 



The song of the red-start is superior, 

 though somewhat like that of the white- 

 throat : some birds have a few more notes 

 than others. Sitting very placidly on the 

 top of a tall tree in a village, the cock 

 sings from morning to night : he affects 

 neighbourhoods, and avoids solitude, and 

 loves to build in orchards and about houses ; 

 with us he perches on the vane of a tall 

 maypole. 



The fly-catcher is of all our Summer birds 



VOL. I. N 



