286 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



takable in pose and action. Constant habit is to perch on dead 

 twig, fence-rail or some similar point of vantage, with head with- 

 drawn between shoulders, so that it appears to stoop. At frequent 

 intervals it makes a short sally in the air, captures an insect with 

 an audible snap, and returns, almost invariably to same perch. 

 Song weak and low, a rambling repetition of the squeaky call-note. 

 Alarm -note " egyp." 



BREEDING-HABITS. Nests generally against wall or resting on 

 beam ; often supported by branch of fruit-tree, but sometimes in 

 hole. Also frequently built against tree-trunk. Will also nest on 

 hinge of door or in old nests of many other species of birds. Nest. 

 Slightly built of moss, wool and hair, compacted with cobwebs. 

 Eggs. 4-5, rarely 6, ground greenish -grey, occasionally pale bluish- 

 green, with spots of sienna -brown of varying depth, chiefly round 

 big end, sometimes forming a rich red-brown cap. A type with 

 pale blue ground and no markings also occurs. Average of 100 

 eggs, 18.3x13.8 mm. Breeding-season. About third week May. 

 Two broods occasionally reared. Incubation. Lasts 12|-13 days 

 (W. Evans) by both sexes. 



FOOD. Almost entirely insects ; chiefly diptera, but also lepidop- 

 tera, hymenoptera (Bombus, Vespa, etc.), orthoptera and coleoptera. 

 Has been known to take earthworm in hard weather, and is said 

 to take berries, such as those of rowan, in autumn. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Summer-resident. Generally dis- 

 tributed except in O. Hebrides, where only two vagrants (Flannans, 

 June 14, 1905, and Sept. 23, 1909) ; in north Sutherland and in 

 Caithness, where it breeds rarely, but occurs as migrant ; in Orkneys, 

 where bred for a year or two about 1867 and two pairs in 1917, 

 but otherwise known only as occasional visitor, as in Shetlands ; 

 in Fair Isle recorded on both migrations, but chiefly from late May 

 to mid -June. 



MIGRATIONS. British Isles. Early arrivals from April 10 onward, 

 (early dates March 10, April 3). Main arrival of summer-residents 

 from first to third week May. Passage -migration second week 

 May to mid- June. Departure of summer-residents begins first 

 week Aug. and lasts to about end Sept. Passage-migration from 

 mid-Sept. (Fair Isle), though possibly as early as mid-Aug., to first 

 few days Oct. Late dates Oct. 6 and 31. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Breeds in Europe from Archangel and 

 Tromso to Mediterranean and in Atlas Mountains in north-west 

 Africa. Winters in central and south Africa. Casual Madeira : 

 on passage Canaries. Replaced by very closely-allied forms in 

 west Asia, Corsica and Mallorca. 



