220 PIED FLYCATCHER. 



fiud extends to the Border ; the vicinity of some 

 of the lakes in Cumberland and Westmoreland is 

 a favourite locality ; and in some parts of Nor- 

 thumberland and Durham it has also been met 

 with.* We are not aware that it has been met 

 with in Ireland, or in any part of Scotland. 

 From their unfrequency, their habits have not 

 been much studied by our British ornithologists. 

 On the lakes, Dr Heysham states, that their 

 manners considerably resemble those of the 

 Spotted Flycatcher ; but they breed in the old 

 pollard oaks, and old trees, and are very clamour- 

 ous when the nest is approached. Mr Hewitson 

 again states, on the authority of a friend near 

 Penrith, that the nest is placed in the holes of 

 trees, walls, and bridges, often near a stream of 

 water, and that the hole is so small as scarcely 

 to admit the hand. The eggs are from five to 

 eight in number, and of a pale verdegris green. 

 Among birds generically allied, we almost always 

 perceive a similarity of colouring to prevail in 

 their eggs, but which here is at much variance. 

 In the manner of building and colour of the eggs, 

 this bird runs into the Saxicolince, particularly 

 the Redstarts, which it also resembles in the dis- 

 tribution of the colours on the tail, dark at the 

 end, with a partially pale bar at the base. 



Head, cheeks, and upper parts of the body, 



* Dr Heysham mentions, that they breed at Lowther, 

 in the holes of trees. On the 12th of May, 1783, I 

 shot there two pair."t 



t Cat. of Cumberland Animals in Hutchinson's Hist. vol. i. p. 13. 



