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The Spotted Flycatcher. 



The Grey or Spotted Flycatcher {Musicapa grisold) is a quiet, 

 unassuming bird, and one which is common nearly everywhere ; it 

 is the last to arrive of all our summer migrants. It is found on 

 the continent of Europe as far north as Norway and Sweden, and 

 it also occurs in Africa, even as far south as the Cape of Good 

 Hope. It generally arrives here on or about May 14th, and it 

 leaves us in the middle of September, but sooner or later, according 

 as the season is less or more favourable to the continuance of the 

 supply of its insect food. It has a number of local names — Cherry 

 Sucker, Cherry Chopper, Beam Bird, Bee Bird, and Post Bird. In 

 some places it is held as sacred as the Robin, and there is an old 

 saying in the country : — 



" If you scare the flycatcher away, 

 No good luck will with you stay. " 



It is a familiar bird; there is scarcely a country house or suburban 

 garden which has not its pair of Flycatchers. It also frequents 

 woods, plantations, orchards, and low bushy hollows. It is rather 

 a mute bird, and has a faint call-note something like sheetic, 

 sheetic, sheetic tic tic. Some naturalists affirm it has no song, but 

 it has, and it is uttered in such a low tone as to be scarcely heard 

 a little way off, and then but rarely ; it somewhat resembles the 

 song of the Whin chat. This bird is very useful in clearing the 

 orchards and gardens of flies that throng there when the fruit is 

 ripe ; at which times, although actually preserving them from the 

 myriads of insect destroyers, it is often accused of perpetrating the 

 very mischief it does so much to prevent ; from this erroneous 

 opinion has arisen the name Cherry Sucker, applied to the cherry 

 protector by those who take every opportunity of destroying it. In 

 summer time, it is very interesting to watch this Flycatcher j^erched 

 in some prominent position which commands a view all round ; in 

 an instant it may be seen to dart after some fly or insect, often at 

 so great a distance as to be out of our sight, but not to the tele- 

 scopic eye of this bird, who will capture it and return to his post 

 with great rapidity, ready for another victim : and thus it continues 



