250 



parts of the country, such as the forests of the Kiew government, it is 

 common. In Bohemia (the Eibethal) it is fairly numerous, and is known 

 to breed in every part of the Austro - Hungarian monarchy, but is not 

 found south of the Alpine chain in Italy, though in the Balkan penin- 

 sula it apparently breeds in Bulgaria, but not in Herzegovina, Montenegro, 

 Macedonia or Greece. [Also in W. Siberia, but E. of the Yenesei it is 

 replaced by M. parva albicilla Pall.] 

 Nest. Ti^g favourite haunts of this species are beech forests or mixed 



woods, especially where there is a thick undergrowth, and it is seldom 

 found in pine forest. The nest is by no means invariably in a hole, like 

 that of the Pied and Collared Flycatchers, but is often built close to 

 the trunk on a bough, or where there is an outcrop of small twigs, and 

 has also been found exceptionally in a hole in a rock, in an old stump 

 and in the side of a strawstack! The height from the ground is very 

 variable: occasionally a nest may be found only 3 ft. from the ground, 

 but it is generally higher, and according to Bau is often 15 to 25 ft, 

 high, though other writers give 5 to 10 or 12 ft. as the usual height. 

 The building materials are moss (Hypnum), grass stalks, and sometimes 

 a few twigs or bud cases of the beech, lined scantily with hair, and 

 interwoven with cobwebs. Breadth of cup about 50 mm., depth 35 mm. 

 Eggs- The usual number is 5 to 6, but in some districts 7 are said to 



have been found. In character they are generally compared to miniature 

 Robin's eggs, but are not unlike some types of Spotted Flycatcher's eggs. 

 The ground colour is very pale bluish green, closely freckled with rusty 

 brown. 

 Breeding It is a summcr visitor to its breeding haunts, arriving in the first 



Season. ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ generally laying during the first fortnight of June. 

 Occasionally an early clutch may be found towards the end of May. 

 Only one brood is reared, but if the first clutch is destroyed a second 

 is laid late in June. 

 Measure- Average size of 100 eggs (48 by the writer, 46 by Bau and 6 by 



Rey), 16.62 X 12.68 mm., Max. 18.2 X 13.1 and 17.5 X 13.4; Min. 

 14.6 X 12.3 and 15.8 X 12. Ooebel gives the average of 271 eggs as 

 16.6 X 13.2, Max. 18 x 14, Min. 15 X 12 and 16 X 11.5. Average 

 weight of 271 eggs, 72 mg. (Goebel); of 46 eggs, 75 mg. (Bau). A 

 double egg measured 21.5 X 12 (Goebel). 



ments. 



