374 



PIED FLYCATCHER. 



Young birds at first resemble the female, and in their change of 

 plumage the males have all the intermediate shades from brown to 

 black. This has probably given rise to an opinion that the male 

 changes his plumage in the winter, and becomes like the female. 



It is said to be indigenous to England. It is, however, very local 

 and by no means plentiful, but is spoken of as an inhabitant of York- 

 shire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire. 



*Mr. Bolton, in his Harmonia Ruralis, says, " The coldfinch has been 

 known to build its nest in an almond-tree when in full blossom, and 

 depart with its young early in September." The eggs represented in 

 that work, are five in number, of a dark-blue colour. This certainly 

 implies that Mr. Bolton found the bird sufficiently plentiful in his 

 neighbourhood, to make such observations on its autumnal migrations, 

 but we cannot conceive that it retires northward with the colder 

 months ; and if it does not change its habits with the season, and thus 

 continue unnoticed, it certainly proceeds a very little way southward, as 

 we believe there is no instance on record of its having been killed in 

 the southern counties of Kent and Sussex— the evident route of the 

 bird, if it migrates to and from the continent of Europe, like the 

 spotted species. 



Mr. Bewick speaks of a pair of these birds having been shot at Ben- 

 ton, in Northumberland, but is silent with respect to the season. One 

 of these wanted the white spot on the forehead, in other respects they 

 were similar; the upper parts in both were black, obscurely mixed with 

 brown. This author adds the following remark, but unfortunately does 

 not quote his authority. " The nest of this bird, with a very great 

 number of young, was found in a hole in a tree, in Axwell-park, June 18, 

 1801. The parents, but particularly the male, incessantly kept feeding 

 them with small flies, which they were extremely expert in catching." 

 If this author had ocular demonstration of this remark, it is unfor- 

 tunate the circumstance should be omitted, for we know by long 

 experience, how little is to be depended on the observations of the 

 unscientific. 



*Mr. Edwin Lees had a nest of this bird brought to him, which he 

 describes to have been " built upon a wooden rake that was carelessly 

 lying on the ground, in a cottage garden at Bransford, near Worcester. 

 In this nest the female laid five eggs, and even sat on them indifferent 

 to any one passing in the garden, till the nest was taken by a boy 

 belonging to the cottage. This nest is carelessly put together, yet 

 prettily constructed of long green moss, intermixed with the catkins of 



