286 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



takable in pose and action. Constant habit is to perch on dead 

 twig, fence-rail or some similar point of vantage, with head with- 

 drawn between shoulders, so that it appears to stoop. At frequent 

 intervals it makes a short sally in the air, captures an insect with 

 an audible snap, and returns, almost invariably to same perch. 

 Song weak and low, a rambling repetition of the squeaky call-note. 

 Alarm -note " egyp." 



Breeding-habits. — Nests generally against Avail or resting on 

 beam ; often supjDorted by branch of fruit-tree, but sometimes in 

 hole. Also frequently built against tree-trunk. Will also nest on 

 hinge of door or in old nests of many other species of birds. Nest. — 

 (Slightly built of moss, wool and hair, compacted with cobwebs. 

 Eggs. — 4-5, rarely 0, ground greenish -grey, occasionally pale bluish- 

 green, wath spots of siemia-brown of varying depth, chiefly round 

 big end, sometimes forming a rich red-browii cap. A type with 

 l^ale blue ground and no markings also occurs. Average of 100 

 eggs, 18.3x13.8 mm. Breeding-season. — About third week May. 

 Tavo broods occasionally reared. Incubation. — Lasts 12i-13 days 

 (W. Evans) by both sexes. 



Food. — Almost entirely insects ; chiefly diptera, but also lepidop- 

 tera, hymenojDtera {Bombus, Vesjya, etc.), orthoptera and coleoptera. 

 Has been knoAvn to take earthworm in hard weather, and is said 

 to take berries, such as those of rowan, in autumn. 



Distribution.^ — British Isles. — Summer -resident. Generally dis- 

 tributed except in O. Hebrides, where only two vagrants (Flannans, 

 June 14, 1905, and Sept. 23, 1909) ; in north Sutherland and in 

 Caithness, where it breeds rarely, but occurs as migrant ; in Orkneys, 

 Avhere bred for a year or two about 1867 and two pairs in 1917, 

 but otherAvise known only as occasional Ansitor, as in Shetlands ; 

 in Fair Isle recorded on both migrations, but chiefly from late May 

 to mid- June. 



Migrations. — British Isles. — Early arriA^als from April 10 onward, 

 (early dates March 10, April 3). Main arrival of summer-residents 

 from first to third week May. Passage-migration second week 

 May to mid- June. Departure of summer-residents begins first 

 Aveek Aug. and lasts to about end Sept. Passage-migration from 

 mid-Sept. (Fair Isle), though possibly as early as mid-Aug., to first 

 few days Oct. Late dates Oct. 6 and 31. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds in Europe from Archangel and 

 Tromso to Mediterranean and in Atlas Mountains in north-west 

 Africa. Winters in central and south Africa. Casual Madeira : 

 on passage Canaries. Replaced by \'ery closely-allied forms in 

 west Asia, Corsica and Mallorca. 



