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SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. 
In its artificial haunts, any projection of masonry, or 
top of some iron railing or garden stake, is chosen 
for its perch, while the nest is placed often in very 
unlooked for situations. A very common locality 
is against the garden wall, on the branches of a 
fruit tree ; a nitch in the wall, capitals of pillars, 
or some corner amidst statuary, is as frequently 
chosen ; and we have known the same birds, 
apparently, return to the very same spot or hole 
year after year. As an instance of a situation, 
quite at variance with its natural breeding sites, 
we may mention that noticed by Mr Jesse, of 
one building on the top of a lamp in Portland 
Place, London. The nest was taken with five 
eggs in it.* The nest is generally composed of 
slender roots, or small twigs laid so as to form a 
broad base, the walls built of green moss, and 
the interior lined with hair, down, and feathers. 
They are one of our latest summer birds in 
arriving, and the process of building and incuba- 
tion is commenced almost immediately. They 
seem to have paired almost before they had 
reached their decided locality, or, at all events, 
they lose no time in seeking and securing a mate. 
Insects have been accounted their only food, but 
we have occasionally seen them eat the ripe 
cherries, and we had an old gardener who used 
to destroy their nests on account of the fancied 
destruction they made of this fruit. Fruit we, 
* Mr Atkinson, in his Compendium, mentions a pair 
having built and reared their young on the angle of a lamp- 
post in one of the streets in Leeds. 
