682 
BIRD-LIFE. 
coloured, spotted with red, and occasionally streaked 
or marbled. Both the male and female sit by turns, and 
the young are hatched out in from twelve to thirteen 
days. Fifteen days later the nestlings are fledged, after 
which they are cared for and instructed by the parent 
birds for a short time longer, when the latter not unfre- 
quently make preparations for building another nest. 
The moulting season commences in August, sometimes 
as early as the end of July, and is the only season during 
which this industrious singer is silent. As soon as this is 
past it immediately recommences, if not to sing, to give 
utterance to short strophes of its song. In the autumn 
both old and young are more frequently found in gardens 
than in the spring of the year, seeking the elder-trees, 
whose juicy berries are then their favourite food. The 
Blackcap often remains in Germany till the end of 
October, when it starts for its winter’s quarters. We do 
not know how far this bird travels: possibly it remains 
in Spain—at least it maybe heard singing in the Alhambra, 
as late as December. 
This harmless bird is easily shot or trapped; in the 
latter case, with nets baited with meal-worms. It is 
one of the most charming and grateful cage-birds which 
one can keep. One of our best observers, Count Gourcy- 
Droitaumont, writes as follows “ This bird is one of the 
best songsters we have, and is, as a cage-bird, in my 
opinion, far superior to any Nightingale. Its long and 
continuous strains are more varied and flute-like, and at 
the same time less shrill and ringing than those of the 
Philomel and Common Nightingales, portions of whose 
songs it intermingles with its own to a very great extent. 
Some Blackcaps pronounce the words ‘Judith’ and ‘brief’ 
as plainly as only a Philomel Nightingale can; others 
