t present no specimen in the
Museum.
40. BLACKCAP. _Sylvia atricapilla_, Linnaeus. French, "Fauvette a tete
noire," "Bec-fin a tete noire."--Though generally known as the Guernsey
Nightingale, the Blackcap, though a regular, is by no means a numerous
summer visitant. I have, however, always seen a few about every time I
have been in the Island in the summer. There are a few eggs in the
Museum, and in Le Cheminant's collection.
The Blackcap is mentioned by Professor Ansted in his list, and
restricted to Guernsey. There is only one specimen--a female--at present
in the Museum.
41. WILLOW WREN. _Phylloscopus trochilus_, Linnaeus. French, "Bee-fin
Pouillat."--The Willow Wren is a tolerably numerous summer visitant, I
believe, to all the Islands, though I have only seen it myself in
Guernsey and Sark. In Guernsey I have seen it about the Grand Mare, and
in some trees near the road about St. George, and about the Vallon on
the other side of the Island. It remains all the summer and breeds.
Professor Ansted has not included it in his list, although it seems
tolerably well known, and has a local name "D'mouaiselle," which Mr.
Metivier, in his 'Dictionary,' applies to the Willow Wren of the
English. This name, however, is probably equally applicable to the
Chiffchaff.
42. CHIFFCHAFF. _Phylloscopus collybita_, Vieillot. French, "Bee-fin
veloce."--The Chiffchaff is certainly more common in Guernsey than the
Willow Wren. In Guernsey I have seen it in several places; about Candie,
where a pair had a nest this summer in the mowing-grass before the
house; near the Vallon; and about St. George. I have also seen it in
Sark, but not in either of the other Islands, though no doubt it occurs
in Herm, if not in Alderney.
It is mentioned by Professor Ansted as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. I
have never seen the Wood Wren in Guernsey, and, judging from its
favourite habitations here in Somerset, I should not think it at all
likely to remain in the Channel Islands through the summer, though an
occasional straggler may touch the Islands on migration. There is no
specimen of either the Chiffchaff or Willow Wren in the Museum.
43. GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. _Regulus cristatus_, Koch. French, "Roitelet
ordinaire."--The Golden-crest is resident in the Islands, but not very
numerous, and I doubt if its numbers are regularly increased in the
autumn by migrants, as is the case in the Eastern Counties of England.
Migratory flocks, h
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