CHAPTER LYI. 



THE Pied Fly-catcher. 



Muscicapa atricapilla, Lin. ; Le Tranquet d' Angleterre, Buf. 



Description and Character. — This species of Fly-catclier is 

 indigenous to this country, but is very scarce, and much 

 localized. It may be met with in most of the Midland counties 

 of England, and sometimes in Yorkshire, Durham, and North- 

 umberland, but, being a shy bird, is not seen so frequently 

 as its congener, the Spotted Fly-catcher. 



The full-length of an adult bird, from beak to tail, is 5in., 

 and of this the tail measures '2\m. The bill is black. The 

 eyes are dark hazel. On the forehead is an elliptic white spot ; 

 the top of the head, and around the eyes and hind part of neck, 

 as well as the tail, are black, with the exception of the external 

 feathers of the latter, which are white. The back is black, 

 intermixed with, brown ; the rump feathers are paler, and 

 interspersed with grey. The pen feathers of the wings are 

 russet brown. The wing coverts are blackish brown, the 

 larger ones being tipped with white ; the outer side of the 

 secondary quill feathers is white. The throat, fore part of 

 neck, cheeks, breast, belly, sides, and vent, are white. The 

 legs and feet are black. 



Habits and Breeding. — These birds dwell principally in 

 the neighbourhood of pools and low marshy grounds, or in 

 thickets and woodlands at the side of a stream or lake. They 

 build their nests in hollow decayed trees, usually pollards, 

 or in dense thickets among the scrub wood ; sometimes they 

 build in a hole in a wall. The nest is difficult to find ; it is 



