Page:Natural History, Birds.djvu/115

102 species, scattered over every part of the globe, and differing widely in the details of generic character. They are all, however, well united together by common peculiarities of structure; and in particular, by the beak being strong, broad, flat, angular on the summit, and notched at the tip, and by the presence of strong hairs or bristles that surround its base.

In this genus, the only British representative of the great Family to which it belongs, the beak is rather strong, triangular, sharply ridged along the upper edge, moderately dilated at the base, where it is furnished with fine but stiff hairs. The nostrils are placed near the base, are somewhat oval, and partially covered with hairs pointing forwards. The wings are rather long and pointed, the first quill very small and rudimentary, the third longest. The tail is of moderate length, either even at the extremity, or slightly forked. The feet are rather weak, the tarsus and the middle toe somewhat lengthened.

In England we have two species of this genus, of which the Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa grisola, .) is the most common. The upper parts are dusky brown, the lower parts white, the throat, breast, and sides, spotted with narrow dashes of brown.

The Spotted Flycatcher, though sufficiently abundant throughout Great Britain, is yet only one of our migratory visitors; and its stay with us is among the very shortest. It rarely arrives before the latter end of May, when the summer is