126 Muscicapidce. 



came into the possession of Mr. Ernest Baker, as notified to me 

 at the time by his brother, Mr. Thomas Baker, of Mere Down 

 Farm. A fine cock bird was seen by the Rev. A. P. Morres, in his 

 garden at Britford Vicarage, on May 1, 1879, which he described 

 as so tame he could have knocked it down with a stone. On the 

 same authority I learn that one was killed at Wilton possibly the 

 same bird at or about the same date; that others have been 

 obtained near Warminster, one or two or more every year, as the 

 excellent bird preserver of that town, Mr. King, assured him ; a, 

 pair near Salisbury, in 1860, by Mr. Norwood, of Fisherton ; and 

 one was seen by Mr. J. A. T. Powell, of Hurdcott House, in the 

 spring of 1877. This species has also been trapped on several 

 occasions by a birdcatcher on the downs of Martin, near Salis- 

 bury ; and Colonel Ward has seen it on his lawn at Bannerdown, 

 July 3, 1879. Mr. Algernon Neeld tells me he has seen it at 

 Castle Combe ; and Mr. Grant that one was shot on the downs 

 above Erlestoke, on April 15, 1872. This is a goodly list of 

 occurrences in our county for so rare a species. Perhaps it is 

 becoming more common in these southern regions, passing on 

 from the Lake districts of Cumberland and Westmoreland, which 

 appear to be its summer stronghold in Great Britain ; or perhaps 

 its apparently greater prevalence here may be only the result of 

 more widespread observation. For myself, I have never seen it 

 wild in England. The literal meaning of Atricapilla is ' black- 

 haired ;' here, doubtless, it signifies * black-headed.' On the 

 Continent it is generally known as Albicollis (' white-necked ') ; 

 and from this are derived its general Continental names, as in 

 France, ' Gobe-mouche d Collier ;' and in Germany, ' Fliegen- 

 f anger mit dem Halsbande ;' but in Sweden it has the high- 

 sounding title, ' Svart och Hvit Flug-Snappare,' which in reality 

 is no other than our trivial name ' pied/ or ' black-and-white Fly- 

 catcher.' 



MERULIM (THE THRUSHES). 



So well-known are many members of this family to the most 

 unobservant, that I need say very little of their general charac- 



