FL Y- CA TCHER. 537 



winter. It is rarely met with in France. It is a very pretty bird, 

 and is easily domesticated. 



The American species, familiarly known as the Cedar Bird (Am- 

 pelis cedrorum), very much resembles the former in plumage and 

 habits, but is not so large. 



The birds belonging to the Fly-catcher genus {Muscicapidce) have 

 a flattened and hooked bill, furnished with a projecting edge, and 

 with stiff hair at the base. They are divided into Fly-catchers 

 proper, Tyrants, and Eurylaimince. 



The Fly-catcher proper feeds on insects, which it'catches on the 

 wing with a vivacity and agility which are extraordinary. It some- 

 times adds to its fare caterpillars 

 and ants, but it never settles on 

 the ground except when in pur- 

 suit of prey. They are birds of 

 taciturn and solitary habits, fre- 

 quenting alone the depths of 

 forests, or the margin of sluggish 

 streams. They are silent even 

 during the pairing season, and 

 are rather negligent in their mode 

 of building, taking no care to 

 hide their nests from the view of 

 their enemies. According to the 

 species, they build either on trees Fig. 247.— The Spotted Fly-catcher. 



and bushes, or in the crevices of 



walls, rocks, or under the eaves of roofs. In Europe, the female bird 

 lays from three to six eggs once a year, but is more prolific in other 

 parts of the world. 



The Fly-catchers are not larger than the Warblers. They are 

 birds of passage, and various species of them are spread over the 

 whole surface of the globe. Some are natives of Europe, among 

 which we will name the Spotted Fly-catcher (Muscicapa grisola, Fig. 

 247), and the Pied Fly-catcher {Muscicapa atricapilla). The latter 

 bird is very fond of fruit; and in the South of France it is killed 

 for the delicacy of its flesh. 



The Royal Great Crests or King Tody {Eurylaimus serilophus, Fig. 

 248) are birds of the same size and with the same habits as the Fly- 

 catchers proper. They differ in nothing but their plumage, which is 

 much more brilliant, their more fully developed tail, and the beautiful 

 tufts which adorn their heads. They are natives of tropical America. 

 The species mentioned may serve as a type, on account of a mag- 



