VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF LEICESTERSHIRE. 461 
forsook it. Three weeks later a Spotted Flycatcher appropriated 
the nest, laid four eggs, and successfully hatched off; repairing 
again to the same nest she laid a second batch of eggs. I found 
three eggs of a pale blue colour, with no markings, in May, 
1879, at Skeffington.” The old MS. Donation Book, Leicester 
Museum, records that Mr. W. Gimson presented “a portion of a 
nest and three eggs, found in an old elm tree, apparently without 
any external opening, on January 8th, 1853.” ‘This tree was 
probably one cut up at the saw-mills, Mr. Gimson being a timber 
‘merchant. 
Muscicapa atricapilla, Linn. Pied Flyeatcher.—A rare summer 
migrant.— Harley writes, ‘“‘A young male was shot on the banks 
of Groby Pool in the autumn of 1840.” Under date April 28th, 
1859, he says, “‘ Examined to-day, at Collins’s, the birdstuffer, a 
fine male example shot at Markfield.”” Collins informed him that 
he once had a Pied Flycatcher said to have been captured in 
Bradgate Park. Mr. Macaulay saw one in his garden at Kibworth 
in May, 1859; and another was seen at Twyford, near Melton 
Mowbray, on May 5th, 1883, by Mr. Kestin. About five years ago 
a male bird of this species was taken in a barn at Wanlip. The 
late Mr. R. Widdowson had one killed at Melton, and I received 
an immature male, shot at Bardon Hill by Mr. Ward on 12th 
May, 1883. 
Fam. HirunDInib2&. 
Hirundo rustica, Linn. Swallow. — A summer migrant, 
generally distributed, and breeding. Harley writes that on the 
31st of May, 1855, the temperature was unusually low, attended 
by a strong north-east wind, with heavy rain and sleet. Hundreds 
of Swallows and Martins perished from the cold and rain, 
particularly at farmsteads in Lubbesthorpe, Glenfield, and else- 
where. In May, 1885, I saw a curious variety, in the possession 
of Mr. W. Whitaker, of Wistow, in which the wings, tail, and 
back were greyish white, the throat faintly rufescent, the under 
parts almost of the normal colour but paler, the head and nape 
faintly tinged with dusky brown, the oval spots on the tail- 
feathers of an isabelline colour. Elkington received one pure 
white in 1880. At Aylestone I have found the Swallow to be 
treble-brooded. 
Chelidon urbica, Linn. Martin.—A summer migrant, gene- 
rally distributed, and breeding. The House Martin, like the 
