Sylvia atricapilla, BECHSTEIN; La Fauvette à tête noire,
BUFFON; Die schwarzköpfige Grasmücke, BECHSTEIN.
This distinguished singer among birds, bears, in Germany, the name of
_Monk_, or _Moor_, from the black or brown cap which covers the top of
his head. These two colours have led some to divide them into two
species, but it is quite certain that they only designate the sex; the
black marking the male, and the brown the female. Its length is five
inches and five-sixths, two and a half of which belong to the tail. The
beak is five lines in length, formed like that of the nightingale, and
is of a brownish blue, with the edges of the lower base and the interior
of a yellowish white; the iris maroon; the feet ten lines high, are dark
ash-colour; all the top of the head is black; the cheeks and upper part
of the neck are light ash-colour; the upper part of the body, as well as
the coverts of the wings, ash-colour, tending to olive; the under part
of the body is light grey, fading to white under the belly and breast;
the sides and thighs are the same colour as the back; the under coverts
of the tail and wings are speckled gray and white; the pen-feathers and
tail-feathers are dark brown, edged with the colour of the back.
The female is rather larger; her cap is reddish brown; the upper part of
her body reddish grey, tending to olive; the cheeks and throat are light
grey; the breast, the sides, and the thighs, are light grey, varying to
light olive; the belly is reddish white.
The silky plumage of this bird is so delicate and frail, that it is rare
to see one in confinement, whether hopping freely, or caged, which has
not its tail or its wings disfigured.
HABITATION.--When wild, this bird is found throughout Europe,
inhabiting woods and orchards, or their vicinity; it particularly
loves thick copse-wood. In September it leaves our climate, and
returns about the middle of April, to enliven our woods by its
brilliant and well supported song.
In confinement, when it is allowed to hop about, it is provided with
a branch, or a roost furnished with several sticks, because it walks
with difficulty, and prefers perching, on which account a cage is
better adapted to it. At the time for departure, these birds, urged
by the instinct to travel, are much agitated, especially in the
night, by moonlight. The desire to rove is so strong, that they often
fall ill and die.
FOOD.--When wild, the blackcap feeds on small caterpillars,
butterflies, flies, in short, of all kinds, on insects and their
grubs; in time of need, on berries and fruits also[87].
In confinement this bird does very well on the universal paste, with
which a little bruised hemp seed is mixed, and occasionally meal
worms, ants' eggs, or insects. In summer and autumn he is supplied
with elderberries, and they are also dried, in order that he may
have some in winter, soaked in water, which is found very good for
his health. He is a great eater, and when at liberty in the bird room
partakes of everything, meat, bread, and even vegetables. As he is
generally caught in the autumn he is soon accustomed to artificial
food, by having elderberries and meal worms mixed with it for several
successive days. He is fond of bathing, and must be always well
supplied with fresh water.
BREEDING.--This species generally lays but once a year, occasionally
twice, and even thrice. His nest, placed near the ground, generally
in a hedge or bush of white-thorn, is hemispherical, solid, and well
built; the outside of stalks, deserted cocoons, and stubble, the
inside of fine soft hay, mixed with hair. It contains from four to
six eggs, of a yellowish white mottled with yellow and spotted with
brown. The young are fed with small caterpillars, insects, and
currants; those which are brought up by hand are fed with white bread
and milk. The charming tone of their voice gives to their own song,
as well as to that of the nightingale and canary, which they easily
learn to imitate, a sweetness and grace which are enchanting. Before
moulting there is so little difference between the young males and
females that it requires great skill to distinguish them, for the cap
of the former is only a slight shade darker of olive brown, and the
back a greyish brown, rather more tinted with olive; but on the first
moulting the head of the male begins to blacken first behind the
beak, while that of the female retains its original colour, except
that it becomes more bright and distinct. When it is wished to
ascertain the sex of these young birds, the best plan is to pull out
a few brown feathers from the head; if it is a male, black ones will
come up in their place, and thus there will be no danger of taking
females by mistake; these, however, would soon be known, because the
males begin to warble as soon as they are able to fly and feed
themselves.
DISEASES.--The blackcap is subject to the same diseases as the
nightingale, but is more frequently attacked by decline. As soon as
the symptoms appear he must be fed with a great many meal worms and
ants' eggs, and his drinking water must be impregnated with iron, by
putting a nail into it. Those which are left to run about the room
are apt to lose their feathers. Under such circumstances they must be
caged, and exposed to the warmth of the sun or the fire; they must be
well fed, especially with the food given to nightingales; these
methods generally restore them, and their feathers are gradually
renewed. A tepid bath, repeated for two or three days, is very likely
to help their development. In epileptic or paralytic attacks I make
them swallow, with great success, two or three drops of olive oil; I
lately had the pleasure of seeing the success of this remedy on a
bird of this species suffering from an apoplectic fit, and which
dragged his little paralysed foot about the room where he lived
uncaged; he is now quite recovered, very gay, and active; his song
was never before so delightful to me. These birds generally live in
captivity as long as nightingales.
MODES OF TAKING.--Every taste but that of the palate must be destroyed
if this charming bird is caught for the table. Besides, it is by no
means numerous; but if it is desired as an ornament to the house,
snares baited with currants must be laid for it in July and August,
the greatest care being taken to save the feet, which are very likely
to be broken. Patience is very necessary in order to succeed, for it
is a very suspicious bird, approaching slowly, and falling into the
snare only when pressed by hunger. The same suspicious disposition
causes it to repair with repugnance to the water trap, though in
other situations it delights in water, and often bathes. If it
perceives anything unusual it will remain for hours without
approaching, and will pass twenty times by currants which are hung up
as a bait without touching them, though very greedy of this food; but
if it sees another bird bathe, or drink, it takes courage, and soon
falls into the trap. The young, before moulting, still foolish and
inexperienced, are more careless, and may be taken in great numbers
in autumn; and in the spring they are as easy to catch as the
nightingale, by means of a net or limed twigs, in a place cleared
from moss and turf, and baited with meal worms and ants' eggs.
ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--It is perhaps a sufficient eulogium to say that
this bird rivals the nightingale, and many persons even give it the
preference. If it has less volume, strength, and expression, it is
more pure, easy, and flute-like in its tones, and its song is perhaps
more varied, smooth, and delicate. It sings also for a much longer
period, both when wild and in confinement, its song being hardly
suspended throughout the year by day, and prolonged, like that of the
nightingale, far into the night, though begun at dawn. The female
sings also, but in a more limited degree, very much like the
red-breast, which has caused it to be mistaken for a particular
species with a redcap. The call is a sort of smart "_tack_," repeated
quickly several times. The sudden view of an unknown object, or of an
imminent danger, makes it utter a hoarse disagreeable cry of fear,
very like a cat when hurt[88].