THE PIED FLY-CATCHER. 267 



to the fly-catcher, which watches for them on the hedge or 

 the branch of a tree, and pounces on them as they pass. The 

 colours of the male plumage are subject to some variation 

 with age and with the seasons : when old, the tail feathers 

 are black : but when young, they have some white on them. 

 In winter, the upper parts incline more to grey, and in sum- 

 mer they incline more to black. The birds breed in holes of 

 trees, or in thick and close bushes, forming their nests of dry 

 vegetable matters, and lining it with hair or feathers. The 

 eggs seldom exceed five; they are pale greenish blue. The 

 incubation begins about the end of May, the birds being sup- 

 posed to arrive about the middle of that month. As they 

 do not previously flock, the time of their departure is not 

 very accurately known. 



The pied fly-catchers are very pretty and lively little 

 birds ; and as they are constantly hopping in and out of the 

 bushes at those bright and sultry hours when the flies are on 

 the wing, they give an interest to times at which the greater 

 number of the summer birds are still as well as silent. In 

 the mornings, before the flies begin to come out, the male 

 birds are generally perched and singing, and the females are 

 on their nests. The songs of the males have not much 

 variety or compass, but they are soft, and not destitute of 

 sweetness. Their fly-catching is, however, the most interest- 

 ing of their habits ; they hold themselves so constantly pre- 

 pared, their eye is so keen, and their motions so quick. 

 Their wings, though well fitted for the leaping flight which 

 they perform in catching their food, are not so well adapted 

 for long journeys, especially if they have to contend with 

 gales of wind, which of course blow them to leeward in the 

 pauses during which the strokes of their wings are exhausted. 

 This may be one of the reasons why the east winds of May 

 carry them out of what may be considered as the line of 

 their migration. When the weather blows hard, they are s 



