THE RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER. 297 



BREEDING-HABITS. Haunts beech forest, breeding sometimes 

 in holes, but also against tree -trunk often 15 to 20 ft. high, but 

 occasionally quite low down. Nests have also been recorded 

 from holes in rock, in stump, and in side of stack. Nest. Small, 

 built of moss, stalks, and a few twigs, lined hair and interwoven 

 with cobwebs. Eggs. 5-6, rarely 7, like very small eggs of Red- 

 breast, very pale bluish-green freckled rusty-brown. Average 

 of 100 eggs, 16.6 X 12.7 mm. Breeding-season. Early June. 

 Single brooded. 



FOOD. Insects, chiefly taken on the wing : small coleoptera, 

 small lepidoptera, diptera (especially Culicidce), and larvae of various 

 insects, etc. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Irregular passage-migrant, chiefly 

 Sept. and Oct., but occasionally Nov., and once Jan. (Cornwall). 

 England. Twenty obtained and others seen ; Sussex, one ; Nor- 

 folk, eleven and two others seen ; Lines., one ; Yorks., two and 

 three others said to have been seen ; Northumberland, one ; 

 Cornwall, one and another seen ; Scilly Isles, three. Scotland. 

 Fifteen obtained and others seen : Fair Isle, five and others seen ; 

 Orkneys, four ; 0. Hebrides, one and two seen ; Bell Rock (Fife), 

 one ; Isle of May (Forth), four. Ireland. Five obtained at Lights : 

 Wexford, two ; Cork, one ; Kerry, one ; Donegal, one. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Breeds in Europe from Petrograd, 

 Riigen, and Denmark to Alps, apparently eastwards to west Siberia. 

 On migration occasionally in south Sweden, more often in Heligo- 

 land, Holland and elsewhere in west Europe. In winter in western 

 parts of India. ; also observed at Cairo, and will probably be found 

 in winter in parts of tropical Africa. Casual Malta and Canaries. 

 Replaced by other races in east Siberia, and Himalayas. 



Genus PHYLLOSCOPUS Boie. 



PHYLLOSCOPUS Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 972 (Type : only species mentioned : 

 Ph. trochilus). 



Beak shorter than head, thin and pointed, sometimes wider, 

 somewhat more Flycatcher-like. Rictal bristles always present, 

 but sometimes very small. Wings more or less pointed, in most 

 cases 3rd and 4th primaries longest, but sometimes 4th and 5th, 

 or 3rd to 5th almost equal and longest. Tail with 12 rectrices, 

 square, slightly emarginated. Tarsus booted, though one scale 

 separated at base, feet generally weak. Upper -parts, or at least 

 outside of wings, greenish, except in P. fuscatus, where it is brown 

 though with a slight greenish tinge, under-parts whitish, yellowish, 

 or white. Sexes alike, young not obviously different. Inhabitants 



