5 
watched one for hours while it sang cheerily and without interruption as it passed from tree to 
tree, keeping within a small district, and observed it fly to a hole in a tree, look in, spread its 
tail, and, after a few moments, slip into the hole; and when I cut the hole larger and examined 
the interior it contained nothing. ‘This has frequently happened; and I can only surmise that 
these were unpaired males trying to entice a female and obtain a mate. So soon as the female 
incubates, the male ceases its song ; and when the young are fledged one hears no note from the 
old birds but the call- or alarm-note, which resembles the word sszik. arly in July they leave 
us, and they only breed here once in the season.” 
. I possess the eggs of this Flycatcher, collected by Mr. Seidensacher in Krain (Carinthia) on 
the 9th May, 1860. In size and shape, as well as in colour, they closely resemble those of 
M. atricapilla, but, as a rule, are rather paler in general coloration. 
The specimen figured, on the same Plate with the male of I. atricapilla, is an adult male 
from Malta, and is the specimen described, this and the female (also described) being in my 
collection. 
In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens :— 
E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 
a, d. Ortakeuy, Turkey, September 14th, 1869 (Rodson). 6, 3,c, 2. Olympus, Greece, April Ist, 1870 
(Kriiper). d, 3. Malta (C. A. Wright). e. Egypt, April 8th, 1865 (EZ. C. Taylor). f, 2. Smyrna, 
April 25th, 1863 (Krier). 
E Mus. H. B. Tristram. 
a, 6. Galizia, Hungary. 
E Mus. C. A. Wright. 
a, é. Meleha, Malta, April 9th, 1870 (C. A. WV). 
46 
e) 
