PIED FLYCATCHER. 219 



of course, consider as an unusual kind of food, 

 but at the height of the seasons, we have little 

 doubt that some of the stronger billed species 

 occasionally indulge in it. We are aware that 

 the present bird has been by several accused of 

 eating the smaller summer fruits, and we seldom 

 find any thing of this kind recorded without 

 there being some cause to be assigned ; and we 

 mention this, as the fact has been stated, but 

 always with a doubt, or without quoting any 

 actual instance of it. 



This bird is comparatively a large species, 

 the length being nearly six inches ; the upper 

 parts of the body are hair brown, having the 

 base, and centre of the feathers on the crown, 

 darker ; wings brownish black, the quills and 

 secondaries edged, and the coverts also tipped 

 with reddish white ; tail of the same colour, 

 paler at the tip, and slightly inclining to be 

 forked; the throat, middle of the belly, and 

 under tail coverts, white ; the chin, sides of the 

 neck, breast, and flanks, streaked or clouded with 

 hair brown. The young are of a browner tint, 

 and have the centre of the feathers tipped with a 

 spot of yellowish white. 



THE PIED FLYCATCHER, MUSCICAPA LUC- 

 TUOSA, Temm. Muscicapa atricapilla, GmeL 

 Pied Flycatcher of British authors. This species 

 is much less common than the preceding, and 

 also more restricted in its localities. It occurs 

 occasionally in some of the southern counties, 



