26 SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. 



or nervous, being looked upon as sacred by the whole 

 school, and successfully brought off her brood, even 

 allowing a camera to be placed within three feet of 

 the nest and her photograph to be taken without dis- 

 playing the slightest trepidation. The nest varies a 

 good deal in its construction. Sometimes it bears a 

 very unfinished appearance, at others it is more com- 

 pact. Small twigs, roots and moss are generally used, 

 and it is lined with wool and a few feathers. The 

 eggs are four or five in number, very beautiful in 

 appearance, of a bluish-white colour, spotted and 

 blotched with reddish brown. 



The Flycatcher commences to sit after the first egg 

 has been laid. None of these birds that feed on insects 

 are easily reared, as it is very difficult indeed to supply 

 them with the proper food. We once tried to rear 

 some, but the last only survived three weeks. Meyer 

 relates a very interesting tale of a nest of young ones 

 which he took and placed in a large cage. The parent 

 bird soon discovered their whereabouts, and used to 

 fly in at the open window, bringing them food ; but 

 these little birds, being unable to leave their perch, 

 could not reach the tit-bits which were held out to 

 them through the bars by the mother. Now in this 

 cage was a robin, and when he discovered the state 

 of affairs he kindly volunteered his services, and from 

 that time he could be seen at any time of the day 

 taking the flies or bees from the mother through the 

 bars and popping them into the little ones' mouths. 

 This continued for six weeks, when, one of the young 

 ones dying, the two others were allowed to fly. This 

 is one of the most interesting tales of bird life on un- 

 doubted authority which we have got. 



