BLACK-CAP. 
129 
centre of the belly and vent ; under tail coverts 
yellowish-white. The female is rather less in 
size, but otherwise does not vary much in the 
shades of plumage. 
CURRUCA. 
Curruca, Bechstein. — Generic characters. — 
Bill straight, rather depressed at the base, 
and very slightly notched, the tomia having 
a slight inflection ; rictus sometimes weakly 
bristled ; wings with the first quill short, 
third longest ; tarsi not lengthened ; feet with 
the sole widened, and fitted for perching. 
C. atricapilla, hortensis, Sfc. 
Europe, Asia, Africa, northern principally. 
The Black-Cap, Corruca atricapilla. 
— Motacilla atricapilla. Lath. — Sylvia atrica- 
pilla, Lath. — Curruca atricapilla, Selby. — 
Philomela atricapilla, Swainson Black -Cap, 
or Black Cap Warbler of British authors . — 
This bird and the next are truly sylvan warblers, 
living entirely in our woods and shrubberies, and 
by their full-toned melody lessening our regret 
for the want of the more gifted species we 
have just described. The Black-Cap is a late 
summer visitant, (though it has been occasionally 
detected during winter,) but his arrival is imme- 
diately betrayed either by his song, or by the few 
peculiar notes warbled as he flits from bush to 
bush. The voice is much clearer in tone than 
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