566 



PASSERINES. 



are birds of taciturn and solitary habits, frequenting alone the 

 depths of forests, or the margin of sluggish streams. They are 

 silent even during the pairing season, and are rather negligent in 

 their mode of building, taking no care to hide their nests from the 

 view of their enemies. According to the species, they build either 

 on trees and bushes, or in the crevices of walls, rocks, or under the 

 eaves of roofs. The hen bird lays from three to six eggs once a 

 year in Europe, but more frequently in other parts of the world. 

 The Fly-catchers are not larger than the Warblers. They are 



Fig. 269. The Long-tailed Tyrant (Mllvulu, Sw.). 



birds of passage, and various species of them are spread over the 

 whole surface of the globe. Some are natives of Europe, among 

 which we will name the Spotted Fly-catcher (Fig. 267), and the 

 Pied Fly-catcher. The latter bird is very fond of fruit, and in 

 the South of France it is killed for the delicacy of its flesh. The 



