218 SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. 



In its artificial haunts, any projection of masonry, or 

 top of some iron railing or garden stake, is chosen 

 for its perch, while the nest is placed often in very 

 unlocked for situations. A very common locality 

 is against the garden wall, on the branches of a 

 fruit tree ; a nitch in the wall, capitals of pillars, 

 or some corner amidst statuary, is as frequently 

 chosen ; and we have known the same birds, 

 apparently, return to the very same spot or hole 

 year after year. As an instance of a situation, 

 quite at variance with its natural breeding sites, 

 we may mention that noticed by Mr Jesse, of 

 one building on the top of a lamp in Portland 

 Place, London. The nest was taken with five 

 eggs in it.* The nest is generally composed of 

 slender roots, or small twigs laid so as to form a 

 broad base, the walls built of green moss, and 

 the interior lined with hair, down, and feathers. 

 They are one of our latest summer birds in 

 arriving, and the process of building and incuba- 

 tion is commenced almost immediately. They 

 seem to have paired almost before they had 

 reached their decided locality, or, at all events, 

 they lose no time in seeking and securing a mate. 

 Insects have been accounted their only food, but 

 we have occasionally seen them eat the ripe 

 cherries, and we had an old gardener who used 

 to destroy their nests on account of the fancied 

 destruction they made of this fruit. Fruit we, 



* Mr Atkinson, in his Compendium, mentions a pair 

 having built and reared their young on the angle of a lamp- 

 post in one of the streets in Leeds. 



