MUSCICAPIDJS. 53 



PIED FLYCATCHER, Muscicapa atricapilla. Though 

 a very rare bird, especially in this county, the Pied 

 Flycatcher is in some parts of England a tolerahly 

 regular summer visitor. I am not myself aware of 

 more than one specimen having heen procured in 

 this neighbourhood, and that was killed, some years 

 ago, close to Taunton, by Mr. Haddon, in whose 

 collection it now is. 



In food and general habits it much resembles the 

 last-mentioned species ; the principal difference 

 seems to be in the choice of a place for its nest, 

 which is usually placed in a hole in a decayed or 

 pollard tree : it is made of roots, grass, dry leaves, 

 bents and hair. 



This is a very conspicuous bird, and one, when 

 once seen, not easily mistaken, in consequence of its 

 distinct black and white colour. The adult male has 

 the beak black, with a spot of white over its base on 

 the forehead ; irides dark brown ; upper part of the 

 head and neck dark brownish black; back of a 

 decided black ; wing primaries and secondaries 

 brownish black ; edges of the greater wing-coverts 

 and the outer webs of the tertials pure white ; the 

 outer web and part of the inner web next the shaft 

 of the outer and second tail-feathers white ; the third 

 from the outside white, on a small portion of the 

 outer web only ; all the rest of these and the other 

 tail-feathers black ; all the under surface of the bird 

 to the end of the under tail-coverts white ; legs, toes 



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