66 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



every day the woman removed tliem^ and, at tlie end of 

 the week, placed a stone on the ledge, which effectually 

 baffled the flycatcher's efforts at that spot ; but the bird 

 then began building at the latter end of the ledge, from 

 whence it was also driven, and three stones being then 

 placed on the ledge, the bird relinquished the attempt 

 to build at either end of it, and commenced building a 

 nest on a beech tree opposite, which it completed, and 

 laid two eggs in it. When the bird was thus apparently 

 estabhshed in the beech tree, the stones over the door 

 were taken away, when the flycatcher immediately 

 forsook its nest and eggs in the beech, and again com- 

 menced building over the door on the part of the 

 projecting ledge, which it had first chosen. The nest 

 was again destroyed, and two slates placed over the 

 spot ; the bird contrived to throw down one of the 

 slates from a slanting to a horizontal position, and then 

 began to build upon it. The nest was again destroyed, 

 and the three stones replaced and kept there a fort- 

 night, after which they were again removed, and, 

 directly they were taken away, the bird again began 

 building. The nest was subsequently destroyed several 

 times in succession ; the bird was twice driven away by 

 a towel being thrown at it ; a stone, wrapped in white 

 paper, was placed on the ledge to intimidate it, but the 

 flycatcher still persevered, completed a nest, and laid 

 an egg. On hearing the circumstances, I directed that 

 the persecution of the poor bird should cease, after 

 which it laid two more eggs, hatched all three, and 

 successfully brought off its brood." 



MUSCICAPA ATRICAPILLA, Linnaeus. 

 PIED FLYCATCHER. 



The habits of this species as a summer migrant, only, 

 to the British islands, are somewhat singular, from the 



