THE PIED FLYCATCHERS. 323 



I. THE PIED FLYCATCHER. FICEDULA ATRICAPILLA. 



Muscicapa alricapilla, Linn., Syst. Nat., i., p. 326 (1766); Newt. 

 ed. Yam, i., p. 229 (1872); Dresser, B. Eur., iii., p. 453, 

 pi. 158 (1875); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., iv., p. 157 

 (1879); B. O. U. List Br. B., p. 41 (1883); Seeb., Br. B., 

 i., p. 328 (1883); Saunders, Man., p. 151 (1889). 



Muscicapa luduosa, (Scop.); Macg., Br. B., iii., p. 524 (1840). 



Ficedula atricapilla^ Salvad. Elench. Ucc Ital., p. 84 (1886). 



Adult Male — General colour above black, as also the wing- 

 coverts ; the median series tipped with white, and the greater 

 coverts entirely white; primary-coverts and quills dark brown, 

 the inner primaries white at the base of the outer web, the 

 secondaries with a conspicuous fawn-coloured spot at the base 

 of both webs, and the inner secondaries white at the base, the 

 innermost ones entirely white, with more or less black tow r ards 

 the end of the feathers ; tail black, the three outer feathers 

 marked with white, the outermost one being almost entirely 

 white, with a brown mark near the end of the inner web; lores, 

 sides of face, and ear-coverts, black ; cheeks and under surface 

 of body white, as also the under wing-coverts and axillaries ; 

 bill and legs black; iris brown. Total length, 55 inches; 

 culmen, 0*4; wing, 3*15; tail, 2'i5; tarsus, 07. 



Adult Female. — Different from the male, being brown instead 

 of black above, the greater coverts tipped with white ; quills 

 blackish-brown, the secondaries white at their bases, the inner 

 primaries having a small white spot at the base of the outer 

 web ; upper tail-coverts black ; tail-feathers blackish-brown, 

 the three outer ones marked with white on the outer web ; fore- 

 head and eyelid ochraceous-buff; sides of face, cheeks and throat, 

 breast and sides of body pale ochraceous-brown, shading off 

 into white on the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; throat 

 whitish in the middle. Total length, 5*1 inches ; wing 2-95. 



Range in Great Britain. — A regular summer migrant, and a bird 

 of very local distribution. It is said to have nested occasionally 

 in most of the southern counties, and in the midlands, but, as a 

 rule, it is only found in the south on migration. It nests, however, 

 regularly in the northern counties, in Northumberland, Durham, 

 Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, and the border counties be- 



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