160 The Flycatcher. 



ways securely attached in the midst of a thorn bush 

 to branches that are stiff and unlikely to bend with 

 the breeze, so that this beautiful piece of bird archi- 

 tecture ma} T not be disturbed. To take it, it is gen- 

 erally necessary to cut away several boughs. Such 

 nests are often seen in farmhouses placed as an orna- 

 ment on the mantelpiece. Spiders have filled the 

 window with their webs, and to these every now and 

 then during the day there is no door to the sum- 

 mer-house come a robin, a wren, and a flycatcher. 

 Either of these, but more particularly the two last, 

 will take insects from the spider's web. 



The flycatcher has a favorite perch close by, and 

 may perhaps hear the shrill buzz when an insect is 

 caught. The flycatcher is a regular summer visitor : 

 in the orchard, garden, and adjacent rickyard at least 

 three pairs build every year. Under the shady apple 

 trees near the sumrner-house one may be seen the 

 whole day long ever on the watch. He perches on 

 a dead branch, low down not up among the boughs, 

 but as much as possible under them. Every two or 

 three minutes he flies swiftly from his perch a few 

 yards, darts on an insect you cannot see it, but can 

 distinctly hear the snap of the bill and returns to 

 his post. He uses the same perch for half an hour or 

 more ; then shifts to another at a little distance, and 

 so works all round the orchard, but regularly comes 

 back to the same spot. By waiting near it you may 

 be certain of seeing him presently ; and he is very 

 tame, and will carry on operations within a few yards 

 sometimes picking up a fly almost within reacli of 

 3"our hand. It is noticeable that many insect-eating 

 birds are especially tame. They will occasionally 



