THE FLY-CATCHER. 265 



occasional one ; but the nest having been found more than 

 once in Norfolk entitles it to a place among British birds. 



The length of this shrike is about seven inches, and the 

 extent of the wings eighteen. The bill is dusky, with a 

 tinge of blue, very strong and notched towards the tip. The 

 irides are hazel, the legs dusky, the claws black, short, and 

 very crooked. The forehead has a stripe down each side of 

 the neck to the shoulders, the lesser coverts and part of the 

 quills are black or dusky. The base of the primaries and tips 

 of the secondary quills white. The back of the head rufous, 

 the scapulars white, the back dark ash-colour. The tail, 

 which is rather long, strong, and a little rounded, is dusky, 

 the rump somewhat paler and mixed with white. The throat, 

 fore part of the neck and breast, dull white, passing into dull 

 ochre, yellow on the belly and vent. 



It is a bold bird, partaking much of the characters of the 

 other shrikes ; but with us it is rare, and only seen occa- 

 sionally in the woods. It does not follow the same zone as 

 the others. 



THE FLY-CATCHEE (Musdcapo). 



There is some little perplexity in the natural history of 

 the fly-catchers. They are smaller than the shrikes, and their 

 bills are less formidable, as their prey is softer, not having 

 the same horny covering as the beetles. They are also 

 larger in the wings, because their prey flies more swiftly, and 

 plays more tricks in the air than the beetles are capable of 

 doing on their " drowsy flight." Still, the fly-catchers hold 

 a sort of intermediate place between the swallow-tribe, which 

 catch their insect food by strength of wing in the free air, 

 and those summer birds which pick it from the leaves, buds, 

 and bark of vegetables, in the larva state. 



