SPOTTED FLY-CATCHER. 47 
&c.—The male of this species is a beautiful bird, with his bright 
chesnut back and lively air. They spend only a part of the year 
with us, but that part involves the period of nesting. The 
nest is usually rather high up in a strong, thick bush, large-sized 
for the bird, cup-shaped, and made of coarse withered herbage 
externally, with rather finer materials within, and lined with 
hair or some such substance. The eggs are four or five in 
number, varying much in colour and marks. The ground-shade 
varies, and so do the markings; the latter, however, being usually 
found thicker and darker in a zone or band encircling some part 
of the egg. Description is quite inadequate to convey any idea 
of these variations. The bird deserves its name, for it 
“slaughters ” small birds, as well as other animals, and hangs 
up the carcases in regular shambles. It is wonderful how the 
frogs, beetles, caterpillars, cock-chafers, birds, &c., which form 
its food, are fixed so very firmly and tenaciously upon the strong 
thorny point.—J%gs. 4, 5, plate IT. 
36. WOODCHAT SHRIKE—(Lanius rufus). 
Only an occasional visitant. 
IT.—MUSCICAPID. 
37. SPOTTED FLYCATCHER—(Muscicapa grisola). 
Beam-bird, Bee-bird, Rafter-bird, Post-bird, Wall-bird, Cherry- 
chopper, Cherry-sucker, Cobweb-bird. Many of these names are 
taken from the familiar site of its nest, or from some of its habits 
in taking food. It will return to the same post, after a short 
excursion to seize an insect, ten or a dozen times in succession ; 
and it will build its nest ona wall, on the end of a rafter or 
beam, on a rake-head, in a trained wall-tree—in fact, in almost 
every conceivable place. The nest varies in material and struc- 
