BIRDS 123 



tions, chiefly Lithologlcal, found a local specimen of the Waxwing 

 preserved in Hutton's museum at Keswick. 



Order PASSEPES. Fam. MUSCICAPIDjE. 



SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. 



Museieapa grisola, L. 



This species travels to its breeding-grounds more leisurely 

 than most of the summer visitors. Consequently the majority 

 of the warblers have commenced the labours of incubation before 

 the low song of the Spotted Flycatcher enlivens our orchards 

 and shrubberies. It must be considered rather a scarce bird on 

 our western coast-line, owing to the paucity of timber. Else- 

 where in Lakeland it is generally common, most abundant in 

 sheltered gardens and low bushy hollows, yet represented in 

 many remote spots by a single pair. It generally builds its nest 

 against an ivied wall, in the face of an old quarry-pit or some 

 kindred situation. The choice of an individual pair occasionally 

 verges on eccentricity. One of the prettiest nests of this species 

 that I have seen was built in the interior of a small china cup. 

 On another occasion a Song Thrush built a nest on a hanging 

 bough of a spruce fir, where she hatched and brought up four 

 young ones. When Mr. Tom Duckworth examined the appar- 

 ently deserted nest a month later, he found that a Flycatcher 

 had built a beautiful nest inside, where she was sitting on four 

 eggs. 



PIED FLYCATCHER. 



Musicapa atricapilla, L. 



The constancy of purpose with which this little Flycatcher 

 annually crosses the Mediterranean, hurries across the hot plain 

 of Spain, threads its way through the mountain passes which 

 debouch into Southern France, and, skirting that great continent, 

 boldly steers its course across the Channel, in order to rear a 

 dusky brood in one of the Lakeland glades, among which the 

 sweet songs of many generations of Pied Flycatchers have won 

 the affections of coy helpmates, or roused the passion of envious 

 rivals, — this same constancy of purpose has been well known to 



