Chirps and 
Chatter. 
(136) THE BIRD WORLD. 
Occurrence of Red-breasted Flycatcher. 
The Red-breasted Flycatcher ( Musci - 
-capa parva) is so rare a visitor to these 
islands that its occurrence in May last, 
near Hull, in Yorkshire, is worth re¬ 
cording. This small migrant, which has 
apparently been noticed in Britain only 
some fifteen times, breeds in Southern 
Russia, the Caucasus, and North Persia. 
Further eastward it is met with in 
Turkestan and Siberia, as far as Lake 
Baikal. In winter it is found in India 
and North Africa. It is well known 
during migration in various parts of 
Europe, but seldom penetrates so far 
westward as our islands. In colouring 
the male of this species is, in breeding 
plumage, brown on the upper portion of 
the body, the cheeks being ashy grey 
and the crown and nape a somewhat 
browner grey. The upper breast, chin, 
and throat are rufous orange, the 
stomach white, the flanks light buff. 
The four outer pairs of the twelve dark 
brown tail feathers have white bases. In 
the hen bird the ash grey cheek colour¬ 
ing is lacking, and the throat is reddish 
buff instead of orange. In length this 
Flycatcher extends to 5 in. or a trifle 
over. By unaccustomed observers the 
bird might quite conceivably be mis¬ 
taken for a Robin. 
The Starling. 
The Starling, like the Rook, is a 
citizen of the world, and you will meet 
them both, with some variations of 
plumage, in every part of the habitable 
globe. But our English Starlings are 
very local in their choice of breeding 
grounds, and show a decided preference 
towards the South of England for nest¬ 
ing purposes. They are winter visitors 
to Cornwall, but forsake the West of 
England on the approach of spring. 
They also go to Guernsey and Jersey 
when food is scarce in England and 
times are hard. A few remain to nest 
on the first-named island, but there is 
no recorded instance of their doing so 
in Jersey. Our knowledge of bird-life 
is increasing, but we have still much to 
learn as to the why and wherefore of 
these habits. 
Peregrines and their Prey. 
Quite recently a Peregrine Falcon, 
which had been, unfortunately, trapped 
and killed in County Down, was found 
to contain the remains of a Carrier 
Pigeon. Among the contents of the 
bird’s stomach was a small ring, marked 
“ N. H. C. 19. W. O. 611,” identify¬ 
ing the particular Pigeon which had 
thus fallen a victim. Carrier Pigeons, 
which are set free for flighting purposes 
in so many parts of the kingdom, among 
other risks which they have to encounter, 
possess a strong and determined enemy 
in the Peregrine. The Sussex Pere¬ 
grines, which now, thanks to some 
measure of protection, haunt the cliffs 
of that county in greater numbers than 
they have done for two or three genera¬ 
tions past, must in particular take con¬ 
siderable tribute from the many Homing 
Pigeons which pass along the coast or 
come over the Channel after being 
liberated on the Continent. Not long 
since I was shown another of these 
owners’ rings, which had been found on 
the leg of a Pigeon slain by a Peregrine 
on the top of a high cliff in East Sussex. 
A Determined Pigeon Lover. 
The Peregrine is a most determined 
Pigeon fancier, taking toll alike from 
the Wild Ringdove or the domesticated 
“ Homer.” Both of these species re¬ 
quire a good deal of catching; but that 
the Peregrine finds little difficulty in 
killing one of these fine fliers when it 
requires a meal is evidenced by the re¬ 
mains of Wood Pigeons so constantly 
to be found on the downs of East 
Sussex. Partridges also suffer to some 
extent from the depredations of these 
splendid raptorials, but in nothing like 
the same degree as Pigeons and other 
birds, for the very good reason that they 
are much less frequently in the air. In 
Sussex, besides Pigeons and Partridges, 
Green Plover, Gulls, Rooks, and occas¬ 
sional Wildfowl and Herons form the 
chief dietary of the Peregrines that make 
their homes in the white cliffs of this 
part of Britain. 
