160 Tlie Flyeatcher. 



ways securely attached in the midst of a thorn bush 

 to branches that are stiff and unlikely to bend with 

 the breeze, so that this beautiful piece of bird archi- 

 tecture ma}' not be disturbed. To take it, it is gen- 

 erally necessary to cut away several boughs. Such 

 nests are often seen in farmhouses placed as an orna- 

 ment on the mantelpiece. Spiders have filled the 

 window with their webs, and to these every now and 

 then during the da}' — there is no door to the sum- 

 mer-house — come a robin, a wren, and a flycatcher. 

 Either of these, but more particularly the two last, 

 will take insects from the spider's web. 



The fl^'catcher has a favorite perch close by, and 

 may perhaps hear the shrill buzz when an insect is 

 caught. The fl3'catcher is a regular summer visitor : 

 in the orchard, garden, and adjacent riek3'ard at least 

 three pairs build every 3'ear, Under the shady apple 

 trees near the summer-house one may be seen the 

 whole day long ever on the watch. He perches ou 

 a dead branch, low down — not up among the boughs, 

 but as much as possible under them. Every two or 

 three minutes he flies swiftly from his perch a few 

 yards, darts on an insect — you cannot see it, but can 

 distinctly hear the snap of the bill — and returns to 

 his post. He uses the same perch for half an hour or 

 more ; then shifts to another at a little distance, and 

 so works all round the orchard, but regularly comes 

 back to the same spot. By waiting near it you may 

 be certain of seeing him presently ; and he is very 

 tame, and will carry on operations within a few yards 

 — sometimes picking up a fly almost within reach of 

 3'our hand. It is noticeable that many insect-eating 

 birds are especially tame. They will occasionally 



