PIED FLYCATCHER. 67 



limited area within wliich it is known to remain and 

 breed, and the fact of its rare occurrence in the southern 

 counties, although a visitant to our shores from the 

 coast of Africa. Mr. Gould (" Birds of Great Britain") 

 describes it as plentiful in Westmoreland, Cumberland, 

 Yorkshire, and Durham, but scarce in Scotland; and 

 its appearance south of either Norfolk or Suffolk, is 

 unusual enough to be considered an accidental circum- 

 stance. As far as my own observations extend, it appears 

 to visit this county pretty regularly m spring, arriving 

 early in May, but, with the exception of the year 1849, 

 in small numbers, and appearing almost invariably in 

 certain favourite localities, either immediately on the 

 coast or close by in the vicinity of the larger broads, as 

 at Horsey and Hickling. Of its frequent occurrence in 

 the former locality, Mr. Eising very kindly furnished 

 me with the following particiilars some four or five 

 years ago : — " The pied flycatcher is a constant visitor 

 here in the spring, and I believe as constantly breeds 

 here. I obtained one nest, or at least three eggs, 

 ill the spring of 1848, which had been taken by a 

 chimney sweep, but, on seeing him sometime after- 

 wards, he either could not or was afraid to tell me 

 where he found them." From more recent enquiries, 

 however, I find that these Horsey birds, having been 

 disturbed and shot at on one occasion, have not been 

 seen in their old haunts for the last two or three years. 

 The spring of 1849, as above stated, was remarkable for 

 the unusual quantity of these flycatchers that were 

 met with in different parts of the county, Mr. Gurney 

 having recorded in the " Zoologist" for that year 

 the occurrence of no less than nineteen specimens 

 within thirty miles of Norwich. It is also worthy of 

 notice, that all these occurred between the 9th and 

 17tli of May, and since that time all that have come 

 under my notice have been killed between the 1st and 



