PIED FLYCATCHER. 157 



Family MUSCICAPID^E. Genus MUSCICAPA. 



PIED FLYCATCHER. 



MUSCICAPA ATRICAPILLA, Linnaeus. 

 Single Brooded. Laying season, May. 



BRITISH BREEDING AREA : The Pied Flycatcher is 

 another very local species, principally confined to the 

 Cambrian Mountains, the Pennine Chain, and the 

 Southern Highlands. It is known to breed regularly 

 in Breconshire, Denbigh, and Merioneth, and the English 

 counties on the Welsh border, thence in Lancashire, 

 West Yorkshire, Durham, Westmoreland, Cumberland, 

 and Northumberland across the Border, northwards to 

 Caithness and Inverness-shire. Only breeds accidentally 

 in such localities as Surrey, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, 

 Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset, and 

 Devonshire. Of only accidental occurrence in Ireland, 

 not breeding. 



BREEDING HABITS : The Pied Flycatcher arrives in 

 our islands during the latter half of April. Its haunts 

 are in the wilder and more romantic districts, although 

 in other countries it is as much addicted to gardens and 

 orchards as its commoner ally the Spotted Flycatcher. 

 In our islands its breeding-grounds are principally situ- 

 ated in the more open woods and coppices, and the well- 

 timbered banks of lakes and streams. It is probable 

 that this species pairs for life, as in many cases the same 

 nesting-places are resorted to yearly. No social tenden- 

 cies are displayed, each pair keeping to themselves. 

 The nest is invariably made in a covered site a hole 

 in a tree by preference, otherwise a hole or crevice in 

 a wall or rock. I found a nest of this species in the 



