244 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



restricted; except for a few pairs in Devon, confined to some 

 western and northern counties of England, Wales and the 

 southern part of Scotland. It is most plentiful in the dales of 

 Lakeland, north-western Yorkshire and north Lancashire, and 

 amongst the hills of north and central Wales. It has long been 

 known as a bird of passage in spring and autumn in the Orkneys 

 and a few isolated spots on the east coast, and keener observa- 

 tion has added to these localities ; it is now known in the 

 Shetlands and on the west coast of England. In Ireland it 

 occurs on migration, and is noticed at the coastwise lights. 

 Doubtless the quiet inconspicuous bird has been much over- 

 looked on migration, especially in autumn, except at those 

 places which are regularly watched. 



The male Pied Flycatcher arrives some days before the 

 female, usually late in April or early in May, and being con- 

 spicuously black and white, is often noticed in places remote 

 from its breeding haunts. Judging, however, from the date ot 

 first appearance in the south compared with its passage and 

 arrival further north, the journey is rapidly performed ; it may 

 stop to feed for a few hours, but soon passes on. It is a smaller, 

 stouter-built bird than the Spotted Flycatcher, and its attitude 

 when perched is less erect ; its movements are quicker and 

 more tit-like, and its tail is constantly in motion, at times 

 jerked upwards, but often more deliberately swayed up and 

 down. It has a sharp, rather metallic call and a lively little 

 song, frequently uttered. Saunders renders this as tzit^ tzit, 

 tzit, trui, trui, trui, but a friend put it into words as " Tree, 

 tree, tree, once more I come to thee." The song is seldom heard 

 after June. The predatory efforts on the wing fall short of those 

 of the commoner bird, and it frequently drops from its perch to 

 pick insects from the herbage ; indeed it depends less upon 

 flying game than on caterpillars and beetles. Though less 

 silent than the Spotted Flycatcher, it is not demonstrative ; I 

 have v/atched it dropping again and again and returning to the 



