96 
GBEE^rT^CH. 
of the same kinds, mingled, as the case may be, with 
thistle-down, feathers, and hair: one was built last year in 
the trellis-work near the drawing-room of Nafferton Vicarage, 
a few yards from that of the Spotted Flycatcher; but, 
though undisturbed, it was not resorted to again this year, 
as was that of its near neighbour. It is placed in various 
situations—a low bush, or an evergreen, the ivy against a 
wall, or between the branches of a tree. Many nests are 
often found in propinquity to each other in the same 
shrubbery; more than one sometimes even in the same bush. 
The eggs, from four to six, or even seven in number, are 
of a bluish or purple reddish white, spotted with darker 
purple, grey, and blackish brown, streaked also in general 
more or less with black. They differ much in size, shape, 
and colour; sometimes the whole surface is mottled over, and 
again, there have been known no markings at all: the 
smaller end is rather pointed. 
Two broods are frequently reared in the season. The 
young, if fledged, fly off in a body from the nest, if 
aoproached. The young of the Spotted Flycatcher I have 
seen do the same, though they had never flown before, on 
my going to the nest to place a young orphan Greenfinch 
in it, with a view to its being fed with them as a foster- 
brother. 
Male; weight nearly eight drachms; length six inches and 
a quarter, or rather over; bill, pale reddish brown, darker 
at the point, the back of the lower bill tinged with red; 
iris,, dark hazel: between it and the bill is a dusky mark, 
which also extends across the forehead. Head on the sides, 
yellowish green, inclining to ash-colour, and on the crown, 
neck on the back, which also inclines to ash-colour, and 
nape, yellowish green, the edges of the feathers greyish; chin, 
throat, and breast, yellowish green, but lighter than the 
back, and with more yellow, much the most so on the lower 
part; on the sides it is tinged with greenish grey; back, 
yellowish green, the edges of the feathers greyish, but lower 
down with more yellow. 
The wings are broad, and expand to the width of ten 
inches and a quarter; the first, second, and third quill 
feathers are nearly equal and the longest, the fourth nearly 
as long; greater wing coverts, greenish grey; lesser wing 
coverts, the same; primaries, brownish black with light grey 
tips, and yellowish white inner edges, excepting towards the 
