96 MYIOTHERINJE. MUSCICAPA. 



colder, migrate southward in autumn. Their flight is 

 rapid, their voice harsh and shrill, although some emit 

 modulated sounds. They form a well-arranged cup- 

 shaped nest, and lay four or five spotted eggs. The young 

 remain in the nest until fully fledged. 



GENUS XXVI. MUSCICAPA. FLYCATCHER. 



Bill of moderate length, straight, broader than high at 

 the base, gradually compressed toward the end, with the 

 ridge rather sharp, the sides sloping, convex toward the end, 

 the notches very obscure, the tip narrow and a little decli- 

 nate. Mandibles internally moderately concave ; mouth 

 rather wide ; tongue flat, deeply emarginate, and finely 

 papillate at the base, with the tip slit and lacerated ; oeso- 

 phagus rather wide at first, afterwards of nearly uniform 

 width ; stomach a broadly elliptical gizzard, with moderate 

 muscles, and dense, broadly rugous, epithelium ; intestine 

 short, rather wide, with two minute coeca. Nostrils ellipti- 

 cal, pervious. Eyes small, eyelids feathered. Aperture of 

 ear elliptical, very large. Head of moderate size, broadly 

 ovate ; neck short ; body rather slender. Feet short and 

 feeble ; tarsus very short, slender, with the seven anterior 

 scutella partly blended ; toes small, compressed, the lateral 

 equal ; claws rather long, extremely compressed, arched, 

 acute. Plumage soft and blended ; long stiff basirostral 

 bristles ; wings rather long, broad, rather pointed, the first 

 quill not half the length of the second, which is about the 

 same length as the third. Tail moderate, straight, even, or 

 a little emarginate. 



The Flycatchers live on insects, which they generally 

 seize on wing. Their flight is light and quick, when pro- 

 tracted undulatory ; but they walk little, and by short hops. 

 Their nests are of moderate size, neatly constructed, and 

 lined with hair or feathers. The female seldom differs much 

 from the male in colour. 



44. MUSCICAPA GRISOLA. SPOTTED GREY FLYCATCHER. 



Bill black, the base of the lower mandible flesh-coloured ; 

 upper parts brownish-grey, the head spotted with dusky brown ; 



