272 



British Cage Birds. 



are leaden grey, and the claws black. The plumage of this bird 

 is very silky in appearance, soft, and of rare quality. 



Habits and Breeding. — The Blackcap is a true British bird, 

 but is evidently averse to cold, for it rarely ventures as far north 

 as the Midlands. It is, however, pretty generally distributed 

 about the Southern counties of England, and inhabits all the 

 warmer parts of Europe, where it breeds. It is said to be plenti- 

 ful in Italy. In Germany it is called the Monk, on account of 

 its head-dress. It is migratory in its habits, arriving in this 

 country in April, and leaving again in September, or the early 

 part of October, according to the season. It is known in some 

 localities as the Weather Bird, as it sings most vociferously 

 just before a shower. These birds build their nests in 

 orchards, gardens, gentlemen's pleasure grounds, or in a copse 

 or thicket not far removed from human habitations. The 

 nests are generally built at the foot of a low bush, or thorn edge, 

 and are composed of various materials, according to the locality 

 in which they are found. Some birds use short stubble, grass, 

 dried leaves, and horse-hair ; others use dried grass stalks, hay, 

 fine dried twigs, and line with hair or down ; others, again, 

 build with dried twigs and root fibre, and, round the top, use 

 moss and wool, lining the inside sparsely with horse-hair (mostly 

 black). The hen lays from four to six eggs (usually five), which 

 vary in colour and markings ; some of them are yellowish white, 

 spotted with brown, and mottled with pale orange, while others 

 are pale reddish brown, freckled with a deeper brown, and 

 blotched with a few dark, blackish brown spots. Some eggs are 

 much paler in colour than others, and less freckled and spotted ; 

 but this is also the case with those of many other varieties of birds. 



Latham, in his remarks on this bird, asserts : " With us it 

 makes but one nest in the year." Olina says: *'In Italy they 

 build twice in the year." They have been known to have two 

 nests in the year in this country ; but, as a rule, they only have 

 one. The nest is fixed securely to the bough or branch on which 

 it is built ; it is hemispherical in form, firmly put together, and 

 neatly finished. The hen incubates fourteen days. The male 

 takes his turn in sitting. The young birds leave the nest when 

 about twenty-one or twenty-two days old, and do not return to 

 it. The male sings whilst on the nest when he desires the hen 

 to come and relieve him of his charge. The parents feed the 

 young birds chiefly on winged insects, such as moths and flies, 



