BIRDS OF GUERNSEY. 25 



Spotted Flycatchers appear, however, to vary in 

 numbers to a certain extent in different years. This 

 year, 1878, they came out in great force, especially 

 on the lawn at Candie where they availed them- 

 selves to a large extent of the croquet-hoops, from 

 which they kept a good look-out either for insects 

 on the wing or on the ground, and they might be 

 as frequently seen dropping to the ground for some 

 unfortunate creeping thing that attracted their 

 attention as rising in the air to give chase to some- 

 thing on the wing. Certainly, when I was in 

 Guernsey about the same time in 1866, Spotted 

 Flycatchers did not appear to be quite so numerous 

 as in 1878. This was probably only owing to one 

 of those accidents of wind and weather which 

 render migratory birds generally, less numerous in 

 some years than they are in others, however much 

 they may wish and endeavour, which seems to 

 be their usual rule, to return to their former breeding 

 stations. 



Professor Ansted mentions the Spotted Flycatcher 

 in his list, but does not add, as he usually does, any 

 letter showing its distribution through the Islands. 

 This probably is because it is generally distributed 

 through them all. There is no specimen in the 

 Museum. 



20. GOLDEN ORIOLE. Oriolus galbula, Linnaeus. 

 French, " Le Loriot." I have never seen the bird 



