687 
1921 .] Birds of Alcudia, Majorca. 
53. Sylvia atricapilla. Blackcap. 
A summer visitor and common, the greater number 
arriving in April, but in 1921 there was a considerable 
immigration at the beginning of March. A few remain 
throughout the winter. They haunt the gardens and orchards 
and nest in the bramble and myrtle-brakes among the gorges 
of the pine-woods in the hills. 
Obtained by v. Jordans. 
54. Sylvia melanocephala. Sardinian Warbler. 
One of the commonest birds ; found everywhere all the 
year round, and where no other bird is to be seen, the Black¬ 
headed Warbler is sure to be there—even among the sparse 
palmetto-scrub on the tops of the bare hills, or the few 
scattered clumps of pines growing in inaccessible spots 
among the crags, as well as in orchards, gardens, and pine- 
woods. They nest abundantly in every conceivable situa¬ 
tion, but always low down, their favourite spots being dense 
clumps of butcher’s broom, myrtle-thickets, palmetto-scrub, 
brambles, and roadside bushes. Often the same site is 
resorted to annually, hut damp or marshy situations are not 
favoured. Their nests vary considerably, some being neat, 
compact structures, and others bulky and rather untidy ; all 
are made of grass-externally, with invariably a pad of cotton- 
grass blossoms or vegetable down of some kind, in which 
the lining of fine grass or fibre is set. The eggs also vary 
much, the commonest type having a pale greenish ground, 
with greyish specks of various shades. A very handsome 
type has a whitish ground, with spots or blotches of dark 
red, or purple or brown—in fact, without identifying the 
birds, these handsome eggs might belong to another species. 
There is never any difficulty in being able to identify the 
birds, however, as they are always in evidence near their 
nest and sit closely, the male taking his turn with the 
female ; when the young are hatched the parent birds make 
a curious “purring” noise, something like the subdued 
chatter of a Wren or the “ churring ” of a distant Nightjar. 
The usual number of eggs laid is three or four, and more 
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