THE PIED FLYCATCHER. 23 



said to be delicate and difficult to keep in health. If reared from the nest they 

 would doubtless eat the usual soft food, but I should expect them to follow the 

 example of the Hinindinida, eat to repletion and take little exercise. They have 

 been kept, but it may be questioned whether it is worth the trouble.* 



Family MUSCICAPIDsE. 



THE PIED FLYCATCHER. 



Muscicapa atricapil/a, L,INN. 



RESPECTING the distribution of this species outside Great Britain, one 

 cannot do better than quote Howard Saunders : "A wanderer to the 

 Faeroes, the Pied Flycatcher breeds regularly up to 69 N. lat. in Scandinavia, 

 65 in Finland, and about 60 in Northern Russia to the Ural Mountains ; south- 

 ward, in suitable wooded localities, throughout the greater part of Europe, down 

 to the centre of Spain ; and eastward as far as Palestine ; while it has been met 

 with in Northern Persia. In Algeria it is said to be a resident species, its 

 migrations extending to the Canaries, and down the west side of Africa to the 

 Gambia, as well as on the east side to Egypt." 



In Great Britain this species is far rarer, and much more local than the 

 Spotted Flycatcher, but especially during the breeding season : although nests 

 have from time to time been obtained in many of the southern counties of England, 

 it principally affects the western counties, Wales, and the north, but more partic- 

 ularly the Lake district. In Scotland, and especially in the northern counties, it 

 is considerably rarer than in England, and in Ireland it has been very seldom 

 met with. 



The adult male in breeding-plumage has the upper parts black, greyer on the 



* In 1887, 1895, and 1896 examples were exhibited at the annual Crystal Palace Show. 



