82 BIRD-LIFE OF THE UORDERS 



acquaintance in Norway. In that land, tourists who have 

 an eye for such things, may see the pied flycatcher even 

 in the park at Berg-en and in the open woods along 

 every Norsk river up to the Arctic circle. There it 

 nests, early in June, in deep holes in living trees, often 

 close by human dwellings: last spring (1905), one pair 

 nested in the roof of our cottage at Etne, another in an 

 ash within 10 yards. Here, the pied flycatcher occasion- 

 ally selects a crevice in an old stone wall or dyke, though 

 usually preferring trees (always near water), and builds 

 its nest of white dry grass, with dead leaves for a 

 foundation, at the end of May, laying six or seven pale 

 blue eggs early in June. The song of the male, my 

 brother Alfred wrote, "reminds me of that of a hedge- 

 sparrow, but more mellow. At other times it resembles 

 the notes o( whitethroat and reed-bunting." The female, 

 when alarmed near her nest, utters a hissing note very 

 like that of its congener, M. grisola. 



This year (1906), there are two pairs nesting at 

 Houxty- — both in silver-birches ; and four pairs in Chip- 

 chase woods. In that locality, Miss Taylor tells me the 

 nests are invariably in holes in trees, mostly ash and elm, 

 and at heights varying from 7 feet from the ground up to 

 quite 20 feet. There, many nests are close by the house, 

 or near frequented footpaths, and not in the sequestered 

 burnsides above described. 



Grasshopper-Warbler. — This is another scarce and 

 local migrant to the Borders ; but one of its characteristics 

 (in my experience) is its sudden appearance in a spot 

 where it had never before been known ; and then, after 

 that one summer, never to return thither again. The first 

 we ever saw — or rather heard — was at Silksworth, county 

 Durham, on April 22nd, 1882. One never forgets one's 



