TITMICE AND THRUSHES. 87 
THE very name of the Flycatchers is a testimony 
to their insectivorous character, and that their title is 
well-deserved no one can doubt who has ever watched 
their proceedings, even for only a few minutes. The 
usual system of the birds is to perch upon a post, or 
bush, or a low branch, and thence to dart out upon 
every flying insect which approaches, and in this 
way they destroy a really wonderful number of mis- 
chievous creatures during the few months which they 
spend in this country. As I write these lines a fly- 
catcher is busily at work before me, capturing its 
insect victims at the average rate of nine or tena 
minute. 
Of the two British species the Spotted Flycatcher is 
by far the more plentiful, and this is generally to be 
seen everywhere towards the end of May, the bird 
being later in arriving at our shores than most of our 
summer visitors. Its stay with us is by no means a 
long one, for it takes its departure rather before the 
end of September; the Rev. F. O. Morris, however, 
records an instance in which the bird was seen as 
late as the 16th of October. But, as it feeds wholly 
upon insects, never, so far as is known, making free 
with fruit of any kind, it is really of more service 
during the few months which it spends with us than 
are many non-migratory birds during the whole of 
the year. 
Its persistency in insect-hunting is really mar- 
vellous, as may be judged from the fact, recorded-by 
a well-known naturalist, that, upon a day when placed 
under close observation, a pair of these birds, com- 
