FrycatcHuer. PASSERES. MUSCICAPA. 147 
gardens and orchards during the season of incubation, and 
frequently builds upon the branches of fruit-trees that are 
nailed against walls, and sometimes in the forks and decayed 
holes of standard trees.—Its nest, which is formed of moss Nest, &c. 
and small twigs, lined with hair and feathers, is often placed 
also upon the ends of the beams or rafters in garden-houses, 
and other out-buildings. It lays four or five eggs, of a grey- 
ish-white, spotted with pale orange-coloured brown. After 
its young have quitted the nest, it conducts them to some 
neighbouring wood or plantation, where they are very dili- 
gently attended and fed.—It seems to feed entirely on insects, Food. 
chiefly of the Dipterous order, which are taken on the wing, 
by repeated sorties upon them, in passing, from its selected 
station, which is usually the top of a decayed branch, and to 
which it returns after each of these aérial attacks. It has 
been stated by PENNanrt, and other authors, to be very par- 
tial to cherries, but this I have not been able to verify ; and I 
am inclined to believe, that the Greater Pettychaps (Sylvia 
hortensis), a keen devourer of all the smaller fruits, has, in 
most instances, been mistaken for the present bird. The note 
of the Flycatcher is a monotonous weak chirp, and is not of- 
ten heard till after the production of its young. 
It seldom leaves the northern parts of Britain on its au- 
tumnal journey, before the middle of October, and after the 
departure of the genus Sylvia. Its summer or polar migra- 
tion extends as far as Sweden and Norway. In Scotland it 
is of rare occurrence. 
Pirate 48*. Fig. 1. Natural size. 
Upper parts of the body light hair-brown; the crown of the General 
head spotted darker. Throat and middle of the belly ees 
white. Sides of the neck, breast and flanks ‘streaked 
with hair-brown. Bill and legs dark hair-brown. 
k 2 
