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A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



hypoleuca but rather greyer on upper-parts and the feathers 

 of back of neck and upper rump with white bases concealed in 

 fresh plumage but lowing here and there when worn ; 2nd to 

 5th primaries with white at base of inner webs and 3rd to 5th 

 usually with white at base of outer webs also, rest of primaries 

 with more white showing at base than in M. h. hypoleuca ; tail as 

 in M. h. hypoleuca. Moults probably as in M. h. hypoleuca but 

 no specimens in moult examined. 



Nestling and juvenile. — (Not examined.) 



First winter. Male. — No specimen available for examination. 

 Summer. — No moulting specimen examined. Like adult, but 

 mantle and scapulars not so jet-black, usually with some brownish 

 or greyish feathers on upper-parts ; nuchal band sometimes 

 mixed with grey and indistinct ; white fore-head spot varying 

 in size as in adult ; primaries much browner than in adult, 2nd 

 to 4th usually with only inner webs white at base and only 

 occasionally'^ outer webs with white, 5th sometimes with no white 

 on outer web, rest with less white than in adult (showing only 

 5 mm. or less beyond coverts) ; secondaries brown as primaries 

 except innermost four (exceptionally five) which are newly moulted 

 and like adults ; primary-coverts and outer greater-coverts old 

 and brown, rest new and like adult ; tail as adult. 



Measurements and structure. — (^ wing 80-85 mm., tail 49-54, 

 tarsus 16-18, bill from skull 9.5-11 (12 measured.) 9 wing 78- 

 82. Primaries : 1st equal to or 1-3 mm. longer than longest 

 primary-covert, 3rd and 4th longest, 2nd 2-6 shorter, 5th 4-6 

 shorter (5th equal to or shorter than 2nd, in one specimen shade 

 longer), 6th 10-12 shorter ; 3rd to 5th emarginated outer webs 

 Secondaries slightly shorter tha.n 10th primary, tips almost square. 

 Other structure as in Spotted Fh^catcher. 



Soft parts. — Bill, legs and feet black ; iris dark brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Summer males easily distinguished 

 from forms of M. hypoleuca by white collar, females can usually 

 be distinguished by white bases to feathers of nape and by short 

 5th primary, and from M. h. hypoleuca by more white on primaries. 



Breeding-habits. — Similar to those of Pied Flycatcher, breeding 

 in holes, generally in old trees. Nest. — Also of bark strips, bents, 

 etc. Eggs. — 5 to 7, pale-blue, unmarked. Average of 45, 17.2 

 X 13.3 mm. Breeding-season. — From early May (Carinthia) to 

 early June (Gotland.) Incubation. — By hen only. 



Food. — Probably almost entirely insects (diptera, lepidoptera, etc.) 

 but information scanty. Said to take berries also. 



Distribution. — England. — Four. Two males near Winchelsea 

 (Sussex), one May 12, one May 13, 1911 {ut supra). Two males 

 Hollington, near St. Leonard's (Sussex) May 15th, 1916 (J. B. 

 Nichols, Brit. Birds, X., p. 166). 



