﻿Beneficial to Agriculture. 27 



haunts, but it nevertheless occurs locally throughout the British 

 Islands. It is gregarious, nesting in colonies in sand-banks, 

 gravel-pits, cliffs, railway-cuttings, and the banks of rivers and 

 lakes. In suitable places it often congregates in large numbers. 

 The nest is placed at the end of a burrow excavated by the bird ; 

 the burrow varying greatly in length, from about a foot and a half 

 to between three and four feet. The nest is made of dry grass, 

 with an ample lining of feathers, usually white ones being selected. 

 The eggs are pure white, and vary from four to six in number. 

 The Sand-Martin feeds entirely on insects captured while flying. 

 This useful little bird is easily recognised from the House-Martin 

 by the absence of the white rump and by the greyish-brown upper 

 parts. The wings and tail are darker brown, and the under-parts 

 white, with a broad brown band across the breast ; the bill is black, 

 and the feet dark brown. 



SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (PI. XII.) 

 Muscicapa grisola. 



The Spotted Flycatcher is a summer visitor to this country, 

 and somewhat late in its arrival, generally making its appearance 

 early in May and leaving again about the middle of September. 

 It is a common summer bird throughout Britain, but becoming 

 less numerous northwards. To the Orkneys and Shetlands it is 

 only a wanderer. 



This species commonly frequents park-lands, plantations, 

 orchards and gardens, especially in the neighbourhood of old trees. 

 It is particularly fond of perching upon dead boughs and railings, 

 where it rests until some flying insect makes its appearance, 

 when it darts off, catches its prey, and returns to its perch. This 

 performance it repeats time after time. 



The nesting site of the Spotted Flycatcher varies greatly — 

 holes in the trunks of trees and walls, on ledges of outbuildings, 

 summer-houses and other rustic work, and very frequently upon 

 the branches of wall-trained fruit trees. The nest is usually built 

 exteriorly with fine twigs, grasses, moss and cobwebs, and lined 

 with fine grass, hair, and a few feathers. The eggs usually number 

 five, but vary from three to six. The ground-colour varies from 

 very pale green to bluish-white, mottled with rusty-brown or 

 pale red. 



