148 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



year 1890 ; another specimen, one of two seen, was taken 

 near Patrington in Holderness on April the 23rd 1894. 



There are, as might be expected in the case of a casual 

 visitant, no vernacular names in use, but, in addition to 

 its ordinary book-name, it has been mentioned by the names 

 of Silk-tail (Thoresby and Hogg), Waxwing or Waxen 

 Chatterer, and Bohemian Waxwing. 



SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. 



Muscicapa g^risola (Z.). 



Summer visitant, common, and generally distributed. 



The " Beam Bird " of Pennant (Vol. ii., p. 263, 1766), 

 quoted by that old writer as obtained by Willughby in 

 1678, and " known in that county (Yorkshire) by the name 

 of Beam Bird, because it nestles under the ends of beams 

 on outbuildings, etc.," is probably to be referred to the 

 species under notice, and as such is the earliest mention 

 of its connection with the count3'. 



Thomas Allis wrote as follows, in 1844 : — 



Muscicapa grisola. — Spotted Flycatcher — Less frequently met with 

 than in the south of England, though obtained in most localities, 

 and, like most of the migratory birds, returns to the same locality 

 year after year ; it is remarkable above all other birds for the exposed 

 situations it frequently chooses for its nest. 



The Spotted Flycatcher is a common and generally 

 distributed species, annually arriving during the first fortnight 

 in May. An unprecedentedly early record is the 9th of April, 

 at Skipton, where one perched close to the observer, who 

 was perfectly satisfied as to its identity. It departs again 

 in September, very few remaining beyond the third week 

 in that month. 



This is one of the few birds to be found in our town gardens, 

 and has been alleged to be guilty of destroying honey bees 

 {Nat. 1886, p. 277), a practice, however, which does not 

 appear to be general. It is well known for its habit of return- 



