The Black Cap and White Throat.
Numb. L V I I I .
J I H I S Bird is very fmall, no t w e igh in g above half an O u n c e : Its length from the
tip o f the B ill to the end o f the T a i l is five Inches, breadth, when the Wings
are extended, nine Inches j the top o f the H ead is black, whence it to o k its n am e :
'under the b la ck on the fide o f the Head white, the N e c k cinereous; the Ba ck , Wings
an d upper fide o f the T a i l o f a d u fk y Colour inclining to green.
T h e T a i l is made up o f tw elv e Feathers tw o Inches and a h a lf long, a little forked,
th e n ether part o f the N e c k , Breaft and Be lly are o f a light aih Colour in c lin in g to
w h i t e ; the B ill ftreight and black : the T o n g u e cloven and ro u g h ; the Leg s and Feet
,are o f a lead C o lour, the C law s b la c k ; the o utm o ft T o e b e low is faftned to the mid-
dlemoft. T h e H ead o f the Female is o f a b row n or chefnut Colour, rather than
b la c k . T h e fe Birds are frequent in Ita ly , it is alfo found in England in the Spring.
T h e W h i t e T h ro a t feems to be almoft o f the fame Ma gnitude o f the Bla ck Cap,
th e upper C h ap b lack, the lower w h it e ; the T o n g u e is flit w ith a deep Incifion; the
M o u th Within y e llow or amber Colour, the b a ck T o e great, the exterior fore Toes
•equal, and lefs than in other fmall Birds, jo yn ed at bottom to the middlemoft, the inter
ior b y an intervening Membrane, w h ich is not obferved in other Birds o f this k in d ;
th e upper part o f the B o d y is o f a reddifh brown, the Head more cinereous; the
T h r o a t , Breaft and B e lly are w h ite , the outmo ft Edges o f the Quill-Feathers alfo
w h ite .
I t frequents Hedges and Gardens, feeds upon Beetles, Flies and other Infcifts;
cr e ep in g and hopping up and d ow n in Buihes lik e the Hedge Sparrow, an d builds in
Buihes not far from the G ro u n d ; the outer part o f the N e ft is made o f the tender
Stalks o f Herbs, and dry Straws, the middlemoft o f fine Bents and fo ft Grafs, the
infide o f Horfehair and other fo ft H a ir ; it lays five E g g s o f a d u fk y Colour, mingled
w i th w h ite and green befprinkled over w ith black Spots, It comes to us in th e Spring,
and leave us in W in te r .
The