SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. 



after these short sorties. Though so quiet a little bird, it 

 will sometimes daringly attack any wanderer who seems likely 

 to molest its 'sacred bower,' signifying first its alarm by a 

 snapping of the bill. It is, like many other harmless birds, 

 under the ban of the ignorant, and though its whole time 

 is taken up in destroying insects which injure fruit, which 

 it scarcely ever touches itself, it is accused of being a depre- 

 dator, and too often suffers accordingly. It must, however, 

 on the other hand, be admitted that some very trifling damage 

 may be done by its destruction of bees, from which it has 

 been given one of its trivial names. White, of Selborne, sa}-s 

 that the female, while sitting, is fed by the male as late as 

 nine o'clock at night. 



The following curious circumstance has been recorded of 

 some young Flycatchers, which had been taken from a nest, 

 and placed in a large cage, with some rfther birds of different 

 species, among which was a liobin. The young birds were 

 fed regularly by one of their parents the female; while her 

 mate, who accompanied her constantly in her flight, used to 

 wait for her, outside the window, either upon the roof of the 

 house, or on a neighbouring tree. Sometimes the little birds 

 were on the top perch in the cage, and not always near 

 enough to the wires of the cage to be within reach of the 

 parent, when she appeared with food; but the Kobin, who 

 had been for some time an inhabitant of the cage, where he 

 lived in perfect harmony with all its associates, and had from 

 the first taken great interest in the little Flycatchers, now 

 perceiving that the nestlings could not reach the offered food, 

 but sat with their wings fluttering, and their mouths open, 

 anxious to obtain it, flew to the wires, received the insects 

 from the mother bird, and put them into the open mouths 

 of the nestlings. This was repeated every succeeding day, as 

 often as his services were required. 



Its food consists almost exclusively of insects, which after 

 capturing in the manner already described, it generally holds 

 for a short time in its bill before devouring. Occasionally a 

 few cherries are consumed, but so seldom, that it is almost 

 the most that can be said, that it makes 'two bites' of them. 

 In feeding its young, two or three insects are frequently 

 brought at a time. 



The note is a weak chirp. There is something in it which 

 attracts the attention. 



Nidification commences immediately after the arrival of the 



