REPOETS OF MEETINGS. 
241 
observed near Long Ashton many years before. In ‘ Winscombe 
Sketches ’ (page 114) Mr. Theodore Compton writes : — * The 
Pied Fly-catcher is a very rare visitor in this county. It has 
been shot near Taunton ; and about 19 years ago {i.e., 1870) a 
pair built in a w’all plum-tree in Mr. Clothier’s garden, near 
Street. Being a true bird-lover, he gave strict orders that the 
birds should be protected, and he had the pleasure of seeing 
them bring out their brood.’ The species does not appear to 
have been hitherto recorded from Gloucestershire. Our recent 
visitor was first observed on April 25th, while flying over a 
stream near Henbury, by Mr. Alfred C. Pass and Prof. T loyd 
Morgan. The next day, a little further up the stream, Mr. 
Pass and Mr. Hudd watched for some time the pretty movements 
of the same bird — a male — while engaged in chasing his prey. 
From the branch of a willow, overhanging the stream, he darted 
on the flies as they passed beneath, returning after each capture 
to his post of observation. The females are said to arrive in 
this country some days after the males, so it was arranged to 
pay frequent visits to the spot for the next few days ; and on the 
27th Prof. Lloyd Morgan was fortunate in finding that the first 
visitor had been joined by his mate ; the female being rather less 
brightly coloured than the male. It was now hoped they would 
build, and rear their young in the neighbourhood ; but, though 
repeated visits were made to the locality, no more was seen of 
them. They had probably, after meeting hy appointment at the 
trysting-place, where they were fortunately observed, continued 
their flight to the hills of Yorkshire or Westmoreland, where 
they are much more frequently met with than in the South and 
West of England. They are sometimes found near the coast, 
where they alight to rest before resuming the journey northward, 
but seldom stop to nestle there.” 
ARTHUR B. PROWSE, Hon. Reporting Sec. 
