BfOLOCY LIBRARY 
 

 X 
 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
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BIOLOGY 
 LIBRARY 
 
 BIOLOGY LIBRARY 
 
 *! .. 
 
 
 
 B. CLAY, PRExTER, BREAD STKEET HILL. 
 
w- 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 PLATE 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 PLATS 
 
 Blackbird . . 
 
 . 187 
 
 15 
 
 Flycatcher . . 
 
 133 
 
 7 
 
 Blackcap . . 
 
 . 238 
 
 20 
 
 Furze-chat . . 
 
 64 - 
 
 ft 
 
 Black - headed 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Bunting 
 Blue Tit . . 
 
 . 209 
 . 99 
 
 17 
 
 Garden-warbler . 
 Golden-crested 
 
 239 
 
 9 
 
 Bottle Tit . . 
 Bullfinch . . 
 Bunting . . 
 Butcher-bird . 
 
 . 100 
 . 189 - 
 . 208 
 . 129 - 
 
 16 
 17 
 
 7 
 
 Wren . . . 
 Goldfinch . . . 
 Great Tit ... 
 Grebe, Lesser . 
 Greenfinch . . 
 
 246 
 130 
 98 - 
 70 
 105 - 
 
 21 
 8 
 3 
 1 
 4 
 
 Chaffinch . . 
 
 . 211 
 
 18 
 
 Hawfinch . . . 
 
 207 
 
 18 
 
 Chiffchaff . . 
 
 . 103 
 
 4 
 
 Hawk, Kestril . 
 
 124 - 
 
 5 
 
 Cole Tit . . 
 
 . 100 
 
 
 Hawk, Sparrow . 
 
 123 - 
 
 5 
 
 Corncrake . . 
 
 . 127 
 
 6 
 
 Hedge Sparrow . 
 
 166 
 
 12 
 
 Creeper . . 
 
 . 100 
 
 
 Hen-harrier . . 
 
 60 
 
 
 Crow . . . 
 
 . 185 - 
 
 13 
 
 Heron .... 
 
 161 
 
 10 
 
 Cuckoo . . . 
 
 . 137 
 
 9 
 
 House Sparrow . 
 
 90 
 
 2 
 
 Dabchick . . 
 
 . 70 
 
 1 
 
 Jackdaw . . . 
 
 125 
 
 & 
 
 Dnvfi 
 
 . 57 
 
 
 Jav . . 
 
 186 
 
 15 
 
VI 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 PLATE 
 
 PAGE 
 
 PLATE 
 
 Kestril .... 
 
 124 
 
 5 
 
 Owl 55 
 
 1 
 
 Kingfisher . . 
 
 63 
 
 1 
 
 Peewit, see Lapwing. 
 
 
 Landrail . . . 
 
 127 
 
 6 
 
 Pipit, Meadow . 246 - 
 
 19 
 
 Lapwing . . . 
 Lark . . . . 
 
 244 - 
 241 - 
 
 22 
 19 
 
 Tree . . 246 - 
 Quail .... 128 
 
 20 
 22 
 
 Lesser Grebe . . 
 
 70 
 
 1 
 
 Raven .... 182 
 
 14 
 
 Lesser White- 
 
 
 
 Redbreast. . . 132 
 
 8 
 
 throat . . . 
 
 105 
 
 4 
 
 Redstart . . . 164 
 
 12 
 
 Linnet .... 
 
 131 
 
 7 
 
 Reed Bunting . 209 
 
 18 
 
 
 
 
 Reed-warbler. . 136 
 
 9 
 
 magpie .... 
 
 185 
 
 14 
 
 Ring Dove, see Wood 
 
 
 Marsh Tit . . . 
 
 99 
 
 3 
 
 Pigeon ... 56 
 
 
 Marsh Harrier . 
 
 61 
 
 
 Robin . . . . 132 - 
 
 8 
 
 Martin, House . 
 
 66 
 
 1 
 
 Rook . ... 183 
 
 13 
 
 Bank 
 
 68 
 
 
 
 
 Meadow Pipit . 
 Missel Thrush . 
 Moorhen . . . 
 Mountain Spar- 
 row .... 
 
 246 
 128 
 126 
 
 93 
 
 19 
 
 8 
 6 
 
 Sand-Martin . . 68 
 Sedge-warbler .240 
 Shrike, see Butcher-bird. 
 Skylark ... 241 -- 
 Snow Bunting . 77 
 
 21 
 19 
 
 
 
 
 Sparrow, Hedge .166 
 
 12 
 
 Nettlecreeper, see 
 
 Whitethroat. 
 
 House. 90 
 
 2 
 
 Night Hawk, or 
 Night Jar . . 
 
 245 
 
 22 
 
 Tree . 93 
 Sparrow Hawk .123 
 
 5 
 
 Nightingale . . 
 Nuthatch . . . 
 
 168 
 97 
 
 12 
 2 
 
 Starling . . . 161 
 Stonechat . . . 190 
 
 11 
 16 
 
 
 
 
 Swallow ... 95 
 
 1 
 
 Ouzel, King . . 
 
 188 
 
 
 Swift .... 65 
 
 
 Water . . 
 
 62 
 
 
 Thrush, Song . 189 
 
 16 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vll 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 PLATE 
 
 
 PAGE 
 
 PLATE 
 
 Thrush, Missel . 
 
 128 - 
 
 3 
 
 Water Wagtail . 
 
 93 
 
 2 
 
 Tit, Blue, or Tom 
 
 99 
 
 
 Wheatear . . . 
 
 163 
 
 11 
 
 Cole . . . 
 
 100 
 
 
 Whinchat . . . 
 
 164 
 
 11 
 
 Great . . . 
 
 98 - 
 
 3 
 
 Whitethroat . . 
 
 239 
 
 21 
 
 Long-tailed 
 
 100 
 
 
 Willow Wren . 
 
 102 - 
 
 3 
 
 Marsh. . . 
 
 99 
 
 3 
 
 Woodlark . . . 
 
 243 
 
 
 Tree Pipit . . . 
 
 246 - 
 
 20 
 
 Woodpecker . . 
 
 57 
 
 1 
 
 Turtle Dove . . 
 
 57 
 
 
 Wood Pigeon 
 
 56 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wood Wren . . 
 
 104 
 
 4 
 
 Warbler, Garden 
 
 239 
 
 9 
 
 Wren .... 
 
 104 
 
 3 
 
 Heed . 
 
 136 
 
 9 
 
 Wryneck . . . 
 
 60 
 
 
 Sedge . 
 
 240 
 
 20 
 
 Yellow Hammer 
 
 208 
 
 17 
 
 Water Ouzel . . 
 
 62 
 
 
 Yellow Wagtail . 
 
 94 
 
 
DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER FOR PLACING 
 THE PLATES. 
 
 PLATE I to face page 54 
 
 II 90 
 
 III 98 
 
 IV. 106 
 
 V 122 
 
 VI ' . 126 
 
 VII 130 
 
 VIII 134 
 
 IX 140 
 
 X 160 
 
 XI , 164 
 
 XII , 168 
 
 XIII , 182 
 
 XIV , 184 
 
 XV , 186 
 
 XVI , 190 
 
 XVII , 206 
 
 XVIII 210 
 
 XIX , 228 
 
 XX , 238 
 
 XXI 240 
 
 XXII 244 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 Plate IV. For " leseer " read " lesser." 
 
 XI. For " wheather " read " wheatear." 
 
 XXI. For "double-crested wren" read "golden-crested 
 
 wren." 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 ONE day, Henry Miller came running into 
 the house, calling at the top of his voice, 
 
 " Papa, come into the orchard as fast as you 
 can ; there are some boys in one of the apple- 
 trees; one of them has a knife in his hand, 
 and he is cutting the tree, but I don't know 
 what for." 
 
 Mr. Miller left his book and made all haste 
 into the orchard, and found, as Henry had 
 said, two boys in the tree and another standing 
 below. All three were so intent on the mis- 
 chief that was going on, that neither of them 
 noticed his approach; but just as Mr. Miller 
 caught the last by the collar, one of those in 
 the tree cried out, 
 
 " I've got him oh, what a pretty bird ! " 
 
BIRDS NESTS. 
 
 Hearing no reply from his comrade below, 
 \\<h looked down, and to his horror saw that 
 they were all caught. 
 
 " Come down both of you directly/' said 
 Mr. Miller, quietly. 
 
 The boys, seeing that there was no help for 
 them, came down, looking much frightened. 
 
 "Erst," said Mr. Miller, " let that bird fly." 
 
 The boy opened his hand, and the poor bird 
 flew off like an arrow. 
 
 "Now, what business have you in my 
 orchard ? Have you forgotten what happened 
 to the boys who were caught last autumn in 
 Mr. Long's orchard ? A fortnight in gaol was 
 paying dear, I think, for a pocketful of apples." 
 
 " But we did not come to steal apples, Sir," 
 said the elder of the boys. 
 
 " I know very well that you could not steal 
 apples in May ; but I don't know whether you 
 would not have tried to do so when the season 
 comes, if I had not caught you now. Once 
 get used to breaking fences and trespassing in 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 3 
 
 spring, and trespassing for dishonest purposes 
 will soon grow easy. What have you been 
 doing with that knife ? " 
 
 " If you please, Sir/' said the eldest boy, 
 " my brother Tom and Joe Square and I were 
 going birds'-nesting ; and as we were walking 
 down the lane, we saw a bird fly into that hole 
 in the apple-tree, and so we thought there 
 must be a nest there ; and Joe Square said " 
 
 " Stop," said Mr. Miller, " don't tell me 
 what Joe Square said, but what you did. You 
 are the oldest of the party, and are most to 
 blame, whatever may have been said, I think 
 you must be a cowardly fellow, and quite 
 ready to do a cruel thing, or you would not try 
 to shift the blame from yourself to your com- 
 panion. Joe Square, you have the name of 
 being a truthful boy at school ; you go on with 
 the story, and tell me what brought you into 
 the orchard." 
 
 " We did not mean to do any harm, Sir," 
 continued Joe ; " we could not find any nests 
 B 2 
 
4 BIRDS NESTS. 
 
 in the fields, so we thought we would come 
 into the orchard and look for a missel-thrush's 
 nest in the apple-trees. So we found a place 
 where the cow had broken down the fence, 
 and came in. As we were walking along, 
 I saw a bird with a blue back fly into that 
 hole, and we thought there must be a nest in 
 it ; so we climbed up very quietly, and I held 
 my cap before the hole, that we might catch 
 the old bird; but it would not come out. 
 Then I tried to put my hand in, but the hole 
 was not large enough ; so I lent Bill Johnson 
 my knife, and he cut away the wood round 
 the hole, to make it larger, and just as you 
 came up, he put in his hand and caught the 
 bird." 
 
 " And pray," said Mr. Miller, " was it any 
 pleasure to you to terrify a poor harmless bird, 
 that risked its life in order that it might pro- 
 tect its nest ? If robbers were to attack your 
 house in the night, and you were strong enough 
 to defend yoqr mother and sisters, would you 
 
BIIIDS NESTS. 5 
 
 stay and fight for them, or run away to save 
 yourself? " 
 
 Joe held down his head and said nothing. 
 Perhaps he recollected that his mother had 
 that very morning forbidden him to meddle 
 with a nest which a robin had built in the 
 garden tool-house. Johnson looked as if he 
 would have said something impudent, if he 
 had not been afraid. 
 
 "Now/ 3 continued Mr. Miller, "you have 
 committed a trespass in my orchard, not only 
 by breaking through the fence, but by cutting 
 a tree. If I were to take you before a magis- 
 trate, he would, I dare say, fine you heavily ; 
 but this would be no punishment to you, John- 
 son, for your father would have to pay ; and 
 from what I know of your character, you are 
 too selfish to be pained at what may happen to 
 him, or indeed to any one but yourself. Your 
 mother, Joe, cannot afford it ; and besides, so 
 pious and honest a woman as she is does not 
 deserve to suffer for the faults of her children ; 
 
6 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 because, I know, she tries to do her duty 
 towards them. But let me give you a bit of 
 advice : first of all, ask her whether she thinks 
 Johnson a fit companion for you ? and if she 
 says 'No/ have as little to do with him as 
 possible. And in the next place, whenever 
 you find a bird's nest, look in it, if you like, 
 that is, if you can do so without disturbing it, 
 but neither take the eggs, nor terrify the old 
 birds. Pray, does your mother know where 
 you are?" 
 
 Joe admitted that she did not. 
 
 " Well then, suppose you were not to re- 
 turn at the time she expects you, that you did 
 not come back all night, nor to-morrow, nor 
 next day, what do you suppose she would 
 think about it ?" 
 
 Joe said she would be very anxious and in 
 great grief. 
 
 " Indeed she would ; words can hardly de- 
 scribe the agony of a mother who has lost her 
 child ; and some such sort of agony, perhaps, 
 
BIRDS NESTS. 7 
 
 that poor bird felt, all the while you were 
 hacking away at her nest. Birds, who have 
 had their young ones taken away, have been 
 known to follow the robber for a long distance, 
 and even to go into a house to feed them ; and 
 do you think they would do that unless they 
 loved them almost as dearly as your mother 
 loves you ? The Bible speaks of the love of a 
 bird for its young as one of the strongest feel- 
 ings in nature. If you read the thirty-second 
 chapter of Deuteronomy, you will see that God 
 compares His own watchfulness over the chil- 
 dren of Israel to the love bestowed by an eagle 
 on its young ; and the eagle we look on as the 
 most savage of all birds. We may learn from 
 this passage alone, that we cannot rob a bird's 
 nest without causing suffering to one of God's 
 creatures, that is, without being cruel. Now 
 cruelty is a sin which is not only bad in itself, 
 but tends more than any other sin, perhaps, 
 to harden the heart ; and your mother, Joe, 
 has taught you too well that you should need 
 
8 BIKDS' NESTS. 
 
 me to tell you how fearful a thing it is to have 
 a hard heart." 
 
 Mr. Miller saw that what he had said had 
 produced a good effect on Joe, though as for 
 the others, one of them cared for no advice 
 that went against his own wishes, and the 
 other was too young to understand all that 
 was said, though he could not help feeling that 
 he had done wrong. 
 
 " Now, boys, you may go ; but remember 
 what I have been saying to you. You did 
 mischief to me by breaking into my orchard ; 
 you acted cruelly in frightening that poor bird 
 from its nest ; you gave way to a temptation, 
 the natural effect of which is to harden your 
 own hearts ; and all these things are sins in 
 the sight of God. Give over the practice alto- 
 gether ; try to be kind-hearted boys, and with 
 God's blessing you will become merciful men. 
 You know the reward that is promised to the 
 merciful." 
 
 The boys were glad enough to be let off so 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 9 
 
 easily ; Joe, thankful to have been spared the 
 disgrace of being taken before a magistrate 
 and the pain of grieving his mother ; Johnson, 
 at having escaped what he expected, and, to say 
 the truth, richly deserved, a good flogging. 
 
 The two brothers walked away hand in 
 hand, the elder looking angry and sulky, and 
 the younger looking inquiringly into his bro- 
 ther's face. But Joe touched his hat, wiping 
 his eyes all the while; and when Mr. Miller 
 smiled on him, showed, by his brightened 
 countenance, that he at least felt neither anger 
 nor sullenness. 
 
 Mr. Miller was pleased to see, too, that he 
 made no attempt to join his companions ; but, 
 though they all lived in the same direction, 
 walked some distance behind. But as they 
 passed along the lane which skirted the orchard, 
 he saw Johnson stop, and heard him say to Joe, 
 in a sneering tone, " Well, there is some good, 
 after all, in having a favourite with you when 
 you are caught out ; for if I had been by myself 
 
10 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 to-day, I should have been flogged hand- 
 somely." 
 
 Joe made no reply; but if his thoughts 
 could have been heard, they would have been 
 these : " I am not sorry that my being with 
 you has saved you from a flogging ; but I will 
 take care not to be caught again with any one 
 who deserves one." 
 
 Henry had been standing by all the while, 
 listening attentively to what passed. He was 
 very angry with the boys for breaking into his 
 father's orchard, but still very glad that they 
 had neither been flogged nor been taken 
 before a magistrate. The bird's nest was, 
 however, as great an attraction to him as it 
 had been to the others. He had frequently 
 looked up at the hole in the tree, and now 
 while his father was busied in repairing the 
 broken fence, he asked him if he knew what 
 bird it was that the boys had caught ? 
 
 " Yes," said Mr. Miller ; " a nuthatch." 
 
 "What, that funny bird that sticks nuts 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 11 
 
 into the bark of the walnut-tree in the garden, 
 and hammers at them with his head down- 
 wards ? I have seen that hole in the tree 
 before ; I should have thought it was too small 
 for him to get through. I wonder whether it 
 is big enough for my hand, now that the boys 
 have made it larger. Do you think there is 
 a nest in it, papa?" 
 
 " We will see directly, as soon as I have 
 finished my job/' 
 
 " Oh, thank you, papa ; but I don't think 
 that the hole is large enough for your hand to 
 go in." 
 
 " Well, then, in that case we can use yours. 
 Go ask the gardener to bring a ladder, and 
 we will see how well you can climb." 
 
 The ladder was soon brought, and as the 
 hole was only ten or twelve feet from the 
 ground, Henry mounted it without danger. 
 
 " Now tell me what you can see," said Mr. 
 Miller, when his little son had reached the 
 nest. 
 
12 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 " It is so dark that I cannot see much ; but 
 I can make out some dry leaves." 
 
 " Put your hand in, then, but carefully, lest 
 there should be eggs or young ones in the 
 nest." 
 
 " But, papa, are you sure there are no snakes 
 nor toads in it ? " 
 
 " No fear of them ; snakes in this country 
 do not climb trees, nor toads either. You will 
 find nothing there to hurt you. Mrs. Nuthatch 
 has taken care that there should not be even 
 a spider." 
 
 " There is nothing here but leaves," said 
 Henry, who had at last ventured to put his 
 hand into the hole, and had pulled out a 
 handful. 
 
 "Do not be too sure." said Mr. Miller ; 
 " recollect that the boys must have destroyed 
 the nest; perhaps there may be eggs buried 
 among them yet. But these are not leaves 
 that you have thrown down ; they are all scraps 
 of birch-bark. Poor birds ! what labour they 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 13 
 
 must have had to strip all these from the 
 trunks of the trees, for I see they are quite 
 fresh." 
 
 Down came another and another handful, 
 and it really seemed that the nest was un- 
 finished. Mr. Miller, however, thought that 
 the bird would not have shown such courage 
 in defending her nest, if it contained neither 
 eggs nor young birds ; and he was right ; for 
 presently Henry exclaimed, "I feel an egg 
 now ; here it is, but it is broken/' Mr. Miller 
 had never seen the egg of a nuthatch before, 
 and was glad to get a sight of even a broken 
 one ; but before the hole was emptied, another 
 broken one was found, and three sound ones. 
 They were very beautiful, pure white, and 
 speckled about the larger end with two shades 
 of purplish brown. 
 
 "We may keep these, I suppose/ 3 said 
 Henry, " now that the nest is destroyed/ 3 
 
 "Yes, certainly; there is no cruelty in 
 taking the eggs, now that the nest is torn to 
 
14 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 pieces, and the birds have been frightened 
 away from it." 
 
 " But is it always cruel to take birds' eggs, 
 when the nest is not destroyed ? " 
 
 " Did you not hear me tell those boys that 
 it is cruel to give pain to any living thing; 
 and do you not think that a bird must be 
 pained and grieved, to have its nest torn to 
 pieces or stolen, and its eggs broken or carried 
 away ?" 
 
 " Are hens birds?" asked Henry. 
 
 " Oh," said Mr. Miller, " I see what you 
 are thinking of: you have been trying to set 
 a nice trap for me, by getting me to say that 
 it is cruel to take birds' eggs, although I often 
 have a hen's egg for my own breakfast." 
 
 Henry looked somewhat ashamed ; for, like 
 many other little boys, he was rather given to 
 think himself wiser than his betters. 
 
 " I will talk to you about that to-morrow. 
 Come away, now ; I wish to read the descrip- 
 tion of the nuthatch in Yarrell's British Birds." 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 15 
 
 When they had reached the house, the book 
 was fetched, and Mr. Miller found that the 
 nuthatch was there said to make its slight nest, 
 or rather a collection of dead leaves, moss, 
 bits of bark and wood, in holes of trees, and 
 to lay from five to seven eggs, white with some 
 pale-red spots. He found it said also, that if 
 the hole in which it built was large, the bird 
 plastered up part of it with mud, and that if 
 the plastering were removed, it made all right 
 again the first or second day after. It often 
 has desperate battles with some kinds of tits 
 for a favourite nesting-place ; and this may be 
 the reason why it plasters up its hole, as it is 
 much easier to keep out an enemy from a 
 small opening than from a large one. 
 
 Mr. Miller, on first reading this account, 
 was almost sorry that he had taken the eggs, 
 as he thought it possible that the bird might 
 have returned ; but on second thoughts it 
 seemed very unlikely, that a bird that had 
 been caught in its hole, and had had its nest 
 
16 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 torn to pieces, and its eggs broken, would have 
 ever come back again. 
 
 The next thing to be done was to empty 
 the eggs of their contents ; for if they had 
 been put away as they were, they would not 
 only have been liable to be broken, but would 
 have rotted and lost their colour. Accordingly 
 he got a fine hollow straw, and having bored 
 a hole with a pin, in a part of the egg which 
 could be hid from sight by laying the egg on 
 the table, he put the straw through the hole 
 and blew gently, when both white and yolk 
 ran out of the same hole. This, he said, was 
 the best way of blowing eggs. The plan, which 
 boys usually pursue, of making a hole at each 
 end, is a bad one, since two holes weaken the 
 shell more than one, and destroy the shape of 
 the egg. Beside this, when eggs are placed 
 in a museum, they will be injured by insects, 
 if the holes are not closed with some substance 
 which the insects will not touch ; and of course 
 it is easier to stop one hole than two. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 SHOULD this little book fall into the hands 
 of any boy who has been in the habit of birds'- 
 nesting in the manner in which that cruel 
 sport is usually practised, I beg him to listen 
 to a few words of advice. If he be naturally 
 and resolutely cruel, I know they will be with- 
 out effect, so I shall not urge them on him. 
 But if he has pursued the sport out of mere 
 thoughtlessness, or because his companions 
 have prevailed on him to join them, or because 
 he is fond of rambling about in the fields and 
 woods, and wants an object ; or if he wishes 
 to make a collection of eggs, as being very 
 beautiful things ; or if, finally, he wishes to 
 observe the various instincts of birds in select- 
 ing materials for their nests, their skill as 
 architects, and their cunning in choosing 
 places where to build them ; if, in a word, he 
 follows up the pursuit as a branch of Natural 
 c 
 
18 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 History, in either of these cases I am inclined 
 to hope he will see that my object is to give 
 his taste a right direction, and to lay before 
 him a few hints which will make the amuse- 
 ment or study, as the case may be, far more 
 interesting to him than it ever was before. 
 
 I have read in one of our standard works 
 on Ornithology, an account of an expedition 
 undertaken by several keen naturalists in quest 
 of the eggs of a certain bird, of which they 
 were very desirous to obtain specimens for 
 their collection. After a journey of very many 
 miles, and a diligent search in the place which 
 the bird was said to frequent, they succeeded 
 in finding a single nest containing only a 
 young bird and one egg on the point of being 
 hatched. They consulted as to what they 
 should do. It would be a great pity, they 
 thought, for the poor little bird to know 
 nothing of life, but a few moments of pain; 
 and yet, having travelled so far in quest of the 
 egg, they were loath to leave it behind them. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 19 
 
 The result was, that one of them, with great 
 care and skill, made an opening in the shell 
 with a lancet without destroying the egg, and 
 without so much as pricking the unfledged 
 inmate, which dropped gently to the bottom of 
 the nest, and, as if to assure them of its sense 
 of their kind consideration, immediately opened 
 its mouth for food. Now one can well believe 
 that those naturalists had not suffered their 
 love of science to blunt their feelings of hu- 
 manity ; yet they were as ardent as the most 
 thoughtless schoolboy ; and one of their num- 
 ber is the author of the best book we have on 
 British birds' eggs.* It is clear, then, that 
 one may be a keen hunter after birds' nests, 
 and withal be most humane. This I wanted 
 to show first, for if the pursuit were essentially 
 and necessarily a cruel one, I could, of course, 
 only mention it to give it an unqualified con- 
 demnation. 
 
 My first words of advice then are, make 
 
 * Hewitson. 
 
 c 2 
 
20 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 a firm resolution to do nothing that your con- 
 science tells you is cruel, either by destroying 
 a nest, robbing it of its contents, or ill-treating 
 the young birds. 
 
 In the second place, supposing that your 
 object is to collect as many varieties as possible 
 of each kind of egg ; you will attain this, not 
 by cruelly carrying off all the contents of 
 every nest that you may find, but by selecting 
 from each any one egg that differs materially 
 from the specimens you already have. You 
 may thus go on continually adding to your 
 collection, and yet keep it within reasonable 
 limits. 
 
 Again, you will frequently find eggs, which 
 no plates or written descriptions will enable 
 you to name with certainty. It is absolutely 
 necessary that you should see the old bird 
 either sitting on them, or leaving them. If 
 you find a nest of such eggs, and take them 
 all away, you deprive yourself of all chance of 
 learning what they are ; but if you take one 
 
BIEDS' NESTS. 21 
 
 or two only, the parent bird will continue her 
 care of the rest, and you will have opportu- 
 nities of determining the kind to which they 
 belong. And as unnamed eggs in a collection 
 are comparatively valueless, it will be far 
 better worth your while to take but one, and 
 to come back and watch the old bird, than to 
 take all, and not know what they are. 
 
 And if your object be to study the habits 
 of birds generally, you will, by leaving the 
 nest, have the opportunity of observing for 
 yourself how many eggs the bird lays ; how 
 long she sits ; whether the male bird assists at 
 incubation ; whether he sings in the neighbour- 
 hood ; whether the hen sits close, or is easily 
 scared away; how often and with what the 
 young are fed ; whether the old birds leave 
 them to shift for themselves as soon as they 
 have left the nest, or continue to watch them 
 after they are fledged ; in short, to take really 
 valuable notes in Natural History. 
 
 It would seem then, that, on the score of 
 
22 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 humanity, it is cruel to destroy a nest of 
 eggs ; and, as far as science is concerned, it 
 is unwise. The considerate and humane col- 
 lector will find, at the end of the season, that 
 his museum contains a limited number of 
 eggs, the names of the greater part of which 
 have been verified, and about which he has it 
 in his power to relate many pleasing anecdotes 
 illustrative of Natural History; while the 
 mere robber of nests, who has pursued his 
 sport in the spirit of reckless indifference, may 
 be able to show, indeed, a large array of 
 empty eggshells, but has gained no know- 
 ledge, and can add nothing to the general 
 stock of information on subjects connected 
 with Natural History. One is, in short, to a 
 certain extent, a Naturalist; the other, an 
 unfeeling destroyer. 
 
 Having thus, I hope, shown that the value 
 of a collection of eggs depends very much on 
 the humanity of the collector, I shall proceed 
 to give a few directions for finding out the 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 23 
 
 names of eggs in cases where the finder of the 
 nest has had no opportunity of observing the 
 parent birds. To watch a bird in its nest, to 
 ascertain what it is, and then to examine the 
 nest and its contents, is of course the most 
 satisfactory method of verifying the eggs, and 
 should never be neglected when feasible. 
 Little reference to books is then necessary, 
 except for the purpose of seeing how far the 
 descriptions of others agree with, or vary from, 
 your own observations ; for it should be always 
 borne in mind, that in Natural History, one 
 well-ascertained fact, properly authenticated, 
 is worth a whole host of opinions. 
 
 If, however, as will very frequently happen, 
 you have no opportunity of determining the 
 species of the old birds, you must confine 
 your attention to the nest and eggs, observing 
 first where the former is built, ancj of what 
 materials, noticing also its shape, and any 
 peculiarity that may strike you. In the next 
 place, notice the number of the eggs, their 
 
24 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 size, colour, and markings. On referring to 
 plates and written descriptions, you will, per- 
 haps, be able to ascertain without doubt to 
 what bird the nest belongs ; but as this will 
 not always be the case, visit it again and 
 again, and it is most probable that something 
 will occur to help you through your difficulty. 
 But if you remain uncertain to the last, lay 
 your specimen aside, properly marked, until 
 you can obtain the opinion of some more 
 practised collector than yourself. But by all 
 means avoid adding any eggs definitely to 
 your collection with names attached to them, 
 until there is no reasonable doubt as to their 
 identity. It is an understood principle among 
 naturalists, that any departure from this rule 
 is a violation of honesty. Want of skill on 
 your part they will overlook, and gladly set 
 you right, but dishonesty will not only take 
 away from the value of your collection, but 
 damage your own character. 
 
 No attempt to classify eggs has, as far as I 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 25 
 
 am aware, been attempted. Indeed, a natural 
 arrangement, that is, such an arrangement as 
 would bring together the eggs of birds belong- 
 ing to the same tribe and family, is impossible ; 
 because it frequently happens that birds allied 
 in structure and habits, lay very different 
 eggs for example, the swallow and house- 
 martin ; and again, very dissimilar birds lay 
 eggs which are much alike, as the owl and the 
 wood-pigeon. An artificial arrangement, which 
 might bring together eggs either of the same 
 size, the same shape, or the same colour, 
 would be considered unphilosophical, because 
 it would also associate dissimilar birds. At 
 the risk, however, of incurring the censure of 
 scientific men, (if any such should condescend 
 to read what I have written,) I intend to 
 describe, in separate chapters, those eggs 
 which are most alike, classifying them accord- 
 ing to their colour and markings. In doing 
 this, I feel assured that although naturalists 
 may not altogether approve of my system, 
 
26 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 they will at least sanction my motive, which is 
 to persuade collectors of eggs to pursue their 
 amusement as a branch of Natural History, 
 which, by the way, has a name of its own, 
 being termed Oology, from the Greek oon, an 
 egg, and logos, a discourse. 
 
 In the accompanying plates, the eggs are 
 all of the natural size, and are coloured from 
 well-authenticated specimens. They are ar- 
 ranged in the following divisions : 
 
 1. Uniform white, without spots. Chapter iv. 
 
 2. White, spotted with red, brown, or black. Chapter vi. 
 
 3. Spotted, on a light ground. Chapter viii. 
 
 4. Uniform blue or green, without spots. Chapter x. 
 
 5. Blue or green, spotted. Chapter xii. 
 
 6. Ground various, marked with spots and irregular lines. 
 
 Chapter xiv. 
 
 7. Ground various, mottled with green or brown. 
 
 Chapter xvi. 
 
 8. Various, or not easily reduced to any of the above 
 
 heads. Chapter xvii. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS, 27 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 NEXT morning, the eggs on the breakfast- 
 table reminded Mr. Miller of Henry's question, 
 whether hens were not birds ? so he lost no 
 time in explaining to him how there was no 
 cruelty in taking hens' eggs. 
 
 " Fowls," he said, " are domestic animals, 
 that is, they have been tamed by man, and are 
 kept by him for his advantage. From having 
 been long in this state, they have lost many of 
 the habits which they had while in a state of 
 nature, and among them that of making nests. 
 They will lay, you know, in a basket or on a 
 heap of straw, or in a mere hole which they 
 have scratched in the ground. But still their 
 instinct teaches them to lay the whole of a set 
 in one place. If an egg, or a piece of chalk 
 cut into the shape of an egg, be placed in a 
 convenient corner of the poultry-house, it is 
 
28 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 most probable that several hens will choose to 
 lay their eggs with it. Thus they seem not tc 
 know when their laying begins ; for when 
 hen sees an egg in a snug corner of the barr 
 she never seems to doubt that it is her own, 
 and when she comes back next day, does not 
 notice whether some neighbour hen has added 
 another, or whether her master has taken away 
 all but the nest-egg. When the time for sitting 
 is come, she has no idea of reckoning ho\ 
 many chickens she is likely to hatch, but takes 
 her place, and sits as comfortably on a round 
 lump of chalk, as she would on a whole nest of 
 real eggs. It often happens that other hens 
 come and lay where she is sitting, and it some- 
 times occurs that a second hen takes it into 
 her head that she would like to sit in the same 
 place. Then there is a fight for the nest, and 
 the strongest wins it. You see, then, that hens 
 do not know the number of their own eggs ; 
 so there can be no cruelty in taking them 
 away. Nor do they mind being disturbed 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 29 
 
 when they are sitting ; they are so accustomed 
 to man, that you may take a hen off her nest 
 and put her back again, without her seeming 
 to care anything about it. 
 
 " But when her eggs are hatched, and she 
 has her brood about her, she is far from being 
 careless then. If a stranger comes into the 
 yard, watch how she calls her little ones around 
 her, and leads them to a place of safety. So 
 tender a mother is she, that our blessed Lord 
 likened her love for her chickens to the love He 
 Himself bore to the Jews. Whatever change 
 may have come over her by being tamed and 
 kept by man, no change has taken place in 
 her affection for her young. If you meddle 
 with her eggs, she does not trouble herself; 
 but let her see you touch one of her chickens, 
 and then watch her anxiety. She will walk 
 boldly up to you, ruffling her feathers and 
 clucking angrily, as if she meant to make you 
 suffer for meddling with her property. But 
 in spite of all this love and anxiety, she has no 
 
30 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 notion of counting ; if a chicken wander so far 
 from her that she cannot hear its cry of dis- 
 tress, she does not seem to miss it, and you 
 may take away several, if you can do so without 
 her seeing you, and she will not find out her 
 loss. 
 
 " Many wild birds are like hens in some 
 respects. The night-jar, for instance, lays its 
 eggs on the bare ground, without building any 
 nest. I once had an egg of this bird given me 
 by a man who saw a night-jar alight on a rock, 
 stay there a few minutes, and then fly away. 
 He went up to the place, and found the egg 
 in the very spot where she had been/' 
 
 "Have you got it now, papa?" said Henry. 
 
 " No ; I kept it for several years, but not 
 knowing that it ought to be blown, it fell to 
 pieces, and insects destroyed it. 
 
 "Most birds," continued Mr. Miller, "sit 
 very closely on their eggs ; and though very 
 wild at other seasons, will allow you to come 
 close to them while they are sitting." 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 31 
 
 cc Oh, yes/ 5 said Henry, " I often creep 
 down to the thrush's nest in the laurel-hedge, 
 and watch the old bird. She never flies away, 
 nor even looks at me, but keeps her eyes as 
 steadily fixed as if they were made of glass." 
 
 " Just so ; and I have heard that some birds 
 will allow you to touch them, but I have never 
 tried this. But some, on the other hand, are 
 very particular. The wood-pigeon, though she 
 builds a very careless nest, only a few sticks 
 crossing one another, is so particular, that if 
 any one touches her eggs, she never sits on 
 them again. Jenny-wren, too, is very jealous 
 of having her house meddled with. If any 
 one puts but a finger into her nest, before she 
 has finished it, she nearly always deserts it ; 
 but if she has eggs, or young ones, she is not 
 so particular." 
 
 "And do wild birds count their eggs?" 
 asked Henry. 
 
 " No, I believe not. As far as I have ob- 
 served them, they have no idea of number, 
 
32 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 nor can they tell the difference between their 
 own eggs and those of another bird. If you 
 find a thrush's nest, for instance, with one egg 
 in it, and take that one away, supplying its 
 place by a smooth oval pebble or a marble, of 
 about the same size, the bird will go on laying 
 its proper number, as if all were right. And 
 if you put that egg into another thrush's nest, 
 the second bird will not lay one less than its 
 proper number. On the other hand, if you 
 find a nest with four or five eggs in it, and 
 take one away, the bird will go on sitting, as 
 if nothing had happened. 
 
 " Now, as you are fond of collecting curious 
 things for your museum, you will like, I dare 
 say, to have a specimen of each kind of egg ; 
 and I will tell you how we shall be able to get 
 them in such a way that the birds shall know 
 nothing about it. When we find a nest with 
 four or five eggs in it, we will take only one ; 
 and if we find a nest with but one egg, we will 
 either wait till there are some more, or take 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 33 
 
 that one, and leave a round pebble in its place. 
 Most people think it impossible to make a 
 collection of eggs without cruelty ; but we 
 shall be able to show them that it may be 
 done with as little cruelty as taking the eggs 
 from the poultry yard." 
 
 " Oh yes, papa ; I will run out into the 
 garden, and take an egg out of every nest ; 
 and I have a bag of marbles which will do 
 famously to put into the nests instead/' 
 
 " Stop a bit, if you please," said Mr. Miller; 
 " I do not mean to have any of the nests in the 
 garden touched; in the first place, because, by 
 coming so near the house, the birds seem to 
 have asked for hospitality, and I think that it 
 would be unfair to impose upon them; and, 
 secondly, I wish to have as many .birds as 
 possible near the house ; for although the old 
 birds do not sing after they have reared their 
 broods, and the young ones not till the following 
 spring, they make the place cheerful, if it is 
 only by their flying and hopping about." 
 
 D 
 
34 JBTRDS' NESTS. 
 
 " Except the bullfinches, I suppose/' said 
 Henry, " who in the winter ate off all the 
 buds from the gooseberry-bushes." 
 
 " No, not excepting even the bullfinches. 
 It is quite true that, in the winter, a single 
 bullfinch destroyed at a single meal as many 
 buds as would have produced a gallon of goose- 
 berries, and I ordered them to be shot then ; 
 their food now is principally insects and seeds, 
 so that they make some amends for the mischief 
 they did in the winter. They only came into 
 the garden, recollect, during the very cold 
 weather, when the ground was frozen so hard 
 that they could pick up no seeds. Next year, 
 perhaps, we shall have a milder winter ; anc 
 besides that, I intend to take more pains to 
 frighten them away. But I have no objection 
 to your looking at the nests in the garden, and 
 examining the eggs while the old birds are 
 away, in order that we may know them again 
 when we find them in other places." 
 
 The thrush's nest was first examined. The] 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 35 
 
 old bird was not in the nest, so that there was 
 no fear of giving her any alarm. It was built 
 in a thick laurel-hedge about four feet from 
 the ground, and was made of small twigs, roots, 
 and moss, and plastered on the inside with 
 mud made as smooth as if the clever bird had 
 patted it down with a spoon. There were four 
 bright greenish-blue eggs in it, spotted with 
 black. The old bird had been sitting on them 
 about a fortnight, and Mr. Miller said that 
 they would be hatched in a day or two. There 
 was a wall covered with ivy between the 
 kitchen-garden and flower-garden ; in this a 
 bullfinch had built its nest, so safely placed 
 among the stalks and leaves that neither wind 
 nor rain could touch it. The bird had laid three 
 eggs in it, but had not yet begun to sit. They 
 were very light blue, beautifully speckled with 
 purple. Mr. Miller hoped the gardener would 
 not find this nest, for if he did he would be 
 sure to destroy it. " He is so vexed at having 
 all the flower-buds of the gooseberries eaten, 
 D 2 
 
36 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 that in this case he will be very loath to obey 
 my order to take no nests. He has remarked 
 that these birds attack only the flower-buds, 
 and this, he thinks, makes the matter worse ; 
 but he is wrong there, for if the leaf-buds were 
 picked off as well, not only would the fruit be 
 lost, but the trees would be injured ; but as it 
 is, if we lose the fruit this summer, we shall 
 probably have a double crop next year." 
 
 As they approached the shrubbery, a loud, 
 harsh, frequently repeated note was heard 
 and a blackbird darted away from a hedge 
 brambles, flew along close to the ground on 
 the other side of the hedge for some distance, 
 and then crossed the field towards a thick 
 wood which lay beyond the meadow. " No 
 doubt," said Mr. Miller, " there is a black- 
 bird's nest in that hedge ;" and, sure enough, 
 one there was, built of small sticks and roots 
 like the thrush's, but lined with moss instead 
 of mud. There were four or five young ones in 
 it, who all opened their ugly yellow mouths as 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 37 
 
 Henry looked in, each supposing, perhaps, that 
 it was his turn to have a delicate snail or fine 
 fat caterpillar for breakfast. 
 
 Just outside the dining-room window was 
 a laurel-tree, one long stiff branch of which 
 came close to the glass. On the top of this a 
 pair of chaffinches had built their nest. There 
 were very few leaves on the branch, and there 
 was some one or other passing beneath at all 
 hours of the day ; but the pretty birds seemed 
 to think that so close to the house as this, no 
 one would be so inhospitable as to hurt them. 
 And they were right. No one ever looked 
 into the net. You might see the tail of the 
 hen-bird stretching out over the edge all the 
 while the sitting was going on ; and the cock- 
 bird frequently perched on the acacia-tree a 
 few yards off, singing his short merry song, 
 which sounded as if he said, " I'm-come-down- 
 this -fine - morning-to-pick-up- a - few- grains -of- 
 wheat-o." No one doubted that there were 
 eggs in the nest, and that they were hatched ; 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 39 
 
 for after a time the hen-bird left off sitting so 
 constantly, and was seen more frequently pick- 
 ing up the crumbs that were thrown out from 
 the breakfast-table. 
 
 Nearly opposite the front door was a 
 Norway spruce-fir, about as high as the house, 
 with long drooping branches. Half-way up, 
 and near the end of one of these branches, 
 was a round ball of moss, which was supposed 
 to be a golden-crested wren's nest, because a 
 pair of those birds were often seen in the tree 
 climbing and hopping about quite fearlessly, 
 twittering to one another, and chirping out their 
 short, thin song. Soon afterwards, one only was 
 seen ; and at last no doubt was left about the 
 matter, for from one of the upper windows, 
 the old birds could be distinctly seen feeding 
 their young. He must have had a hard heart, 
 who would have interfered with the happiness 
 of these pretty little birds. 
 
 Greenfinches were very abundant here, as 
 they are in most places. They built their nests 
 
40 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 in bushes ten or twelve feet from the ground, 
 of small twigs, moss, and wool. Their eggs 
 were white, or nearly so, with reddish-purple 
 spots about the larger end. The cock-bird 
 used to perch during great part of the day, 
 especially when it was very warm, on a branch 
 of a tree hard by, repeating over and over one 
 long note, that sounded more like a croak than 
 a chirp. No one thought it a pleasant sound, 
 except, I suppose, Mrs. Greenfinch, who being 
 obliged to stay at home all day long, thought 
 any note musical which told her that her hus- 
 band was keeping watch not far off. 
 
 In a little wood adjoining the garden was 
 a fine old oak-tree, all the lower part of \vhich 
 was thickly clothed with ivy. Among the 
 steins of this, two wrens had built their 
 comfortable nest. The entrance was made of 
 moss, twigs, and dry leaves, and shaped not 
 like a cup, as many other nests are, but round 
 like a ball, with a small hole in front. So 
 cleverly was the nest hid, however, that you 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 41 
 
 could riot see it without bending back the 
 leaves, one of which hung down directly in 
 front of the opening. They did not visit it 
 to-day, because Mr. Miller said that the wren 
 very often deserted her nest if she was dis- 
 turbed. 
 
 This part of the wood was very thick with 
 brambles and thorns, and Mr. Miller thought 
 there was a nightingale's nest somewhere 
 near ; for one of these sweet birds was nearly 
 always, except during the heat of the day, to 
 be heard pouring out his melody from one or 
 other of the trees hard by. In the early part 
 of the evening too he was silent, but after the 
 sun was gone down, when the blackbird and 
 thrush had piped their last song, and the 
 woods had become so still that one would 
 have thought every note of music over for the 
 night, all on a sudden his clear rapid strain 
 burst forth from the thicket, and was pretty 
 sure to be answered by some rival songster 
 from the adjoining copse. At what time he 
 
42 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 fed and took his rest it was hard to say ; for 
 he seemed too fond of music to leave time for 
 either. Where his nest was, no one could 
 tell ; the bushes were so thick that it was 
 impossible to search them, and Mr. Miller was 
 very glad of that, fearing that if any one found 
 the nest, the birds would fly away to some 
 other place, and so he should lose their song. 
 
 A little further on, near the top of a low 
 oak-tree, covered with ivy, was a large nest, 
 to which Mr. Miller climbed up, and found it 
 to be a jay's nest. The outside was of sticks, 
 and the inside of small roots matted together 
 very closely, and it contained five eggs of a 
 dull greenish colour, speckled all over with 
 light brown. One of these was taken to add 
 to the collection. 
 
 On the ground, in the midst of a tuft of 
 brambles, a pheasant had built her nest. It 
 was so close to the path, that from it the 
 patient bird could be seen sitting on her eggs. 
 Mr. Miller never went near it, for fear that the 
 
BIRDS 3 NESTS. 43 
 
 bird should get into the habit of flying from 
 her nest when any one came near her. In 
 this case he thought it very likely, that if any 
 mischievous person came near the nest, the 
 bird would fly away, and thus point out the 
 place where she had left her eggs. Henry 
 wished very much to have one of these, but 
 Mr. Miller would not allow him on any ac- 
 count. Pheasants, he said, were among 
 the birds which are called game, and it 
 was unlawful to take their eggs, or even to 
 shoot the birds themselves, except during the 
 winter. Many persons collect the eggs of 
 pheasants, and place them under hens in their 
 poultry-yards, to be hatched there, because 
 the old birds are liable to be caught, and the 
 eggs destroyed by foxes. He said, however, 
 that he should not do this, ns the young birds 
 were difficult to be reared, requiring much 
 care, and different food from that given to 
 poultry. As it happened, it would have been 
 better if he had done so. 
 
44 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 " I hope," said Henry, " the old bird will 
 rear these safely. Do you recollect, papa, 
 what happened to the young pheasant in the 
 hay-field last year ?" 
 
 Mr. Miller recollected it well : one of the 
 mowers, while cutting the hay with his scythe, 
 accidentally killed a young pheasant, which 
 with its brothers and sisters was hiding 
 among the thick grass. The man was very 
 sorry to have done this mischief, but took 
 care that the rest of the brood should get off 
 safely. As the mowers went on with their 
 work, the terrified little creatures advanced 
 further and further into the long grass, and 
 were at last driven into the wood, where no 
 doubt they were soon found by their mother. 
 
 There were several other nests in the wood, 
 but none of these were visited, except a thrush's 
 nest, which was built against a dry hedge, and 
 sheltered by the roots of some trees which 
 grew above. The bird cared so little for visi- 
 tors, that Mr. Miller and Henry went within 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 45 
 
 a few feet of her, without frightening her from 
 her post. 
 
 As they were returning, the gardener met 
 them, and having answered some of Mr. Mil- 
 ler's questions about his potatoes and other 
 crops, added 
 
 " If you please, Sir, may I destroy the star- 
 lings' nests about the house ? " 
 
 " Why do you wish them destroyed ? " 
 said Mr. Miller. 
 
 " Because, Sir, one has been built at the 
 top of the pipe which drains the roof of the 
 house ; and if it is allowed to stay there, and 
 we have a shower of rain, the shoot will over- 
 flow, and the water will soak through the 
 walls. The same thing happened last year, 
 and the plastering of one of the rooms had to 
 be taken down." 
 
 " Well, George, you know I do not like 
 the nests to be meddled with, which are built 
 about the house and garden ; but if these birds 
 are positively doing mischief, I am afraid I 
 
46 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 cannot say no. As long as they want shelter 
 only, they shall have it ; but if they choose to 
 build their houses so as to injure mine, and 
 I have the greatest right to be comfortable 
 here, since the house was built before the nest, 
 the poor birds must be turned out. But 
 why did you not frighten them away before 
 the nest was finished ? They would then only 
 have had to look out for another spot." 
 
 " Why, Sir, 1 did all I could. I never saw 
 them without shouting to them, and clapping 
 my hands at them; but they did not mind 
 me a bit ; for as soon as my back was turned 
 they were at work again. I even tied two 
 long sticks together, and poked out some of 
 the rubbish they had brought there, but it 
 w r as of no use. They seemed so fond of the 
 place, that nothing would drive them away." 
 
 A long ladder was soon placed against the 
 house, on which George mounted, and pre- 
 sently came down, bringing with him four 
 eggs of a delicate pale-green colour, without 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 47 
 
 spots. These were placed in Henry's hands, 
 and greatly admired. A second journey was 
 made to the top of the house, and George 
 threw down an immense quantity of twigs, 
 roots, straw, and hay, which it must have cost 
 the poor birds very much pains to have col- 
 lected one by one. 
 
 Gardeners seem to have a hatred of nearly 
 all birds, thinking that they resort to gardens 
 only for the sake of picking off buds, destroy- 
 ing fruit, and gathering up seeds which have 
 been sown. George therefore wanted to pull 
 out another starling's nest, which had been 
 built in the ivy under the shoot, as well as 
 all the sparrows' nests he could find ; but 
 Mr. Miller, seeing that these did no injury to 
 the house, would not allow any mpre to be 
 touched. " I am afraid I shall never be able 
 to convince you," said he to George, "that it 
 is only during a very short portion of the 
 year that the birds do us any mischief. We 
 ought then to be on the watch and drive them 
 
48 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 away ; but at the season when th 
 live on insects, that is, at the seas 
 have their young, we ought to be glad to have 
 them. Starlings never do us any mischief, 
 except when our cherries are ripe when they 
 certainly help themselves very freely if we 
 allow them. But all the rest of the year 
 they live on snails, caterpillars, and grubs, 
 which are mischievous nearly all the year 
 round, especially when plants are growing, 
 and want all the leaves they can put forth. 
 Sparrows, I allow, eat a great deal of corn 
 both at harvest and sowing-time ; but I doubt 
 whether they do not destroy wire-worms and 
 other mischievous insects, more than enough 
 to make up for the damage they do to the 
 grain. No, no ; let them alone : they are 
 merry little fellows, and shall have shelter in 
 my ivy, even if no one else has a word to say 
 for them. But while you have the ladder 
 here, you may stop up with mortar the hole 
 where the hornets had their nest last year." 
 
BIKDS' NESTS. 49 
 
 Hornets are very large flies, with four wings, 
 and bodies banded with yellow and black. 
 They are not so troublesome as wasps, as they 
 do not often come into houses and fly about 
 meat and fruit as those annoying insects do, 
 but their sting is much more painful than that 
 of the wasp. The year before, some hornets 
 had found their way through a hole between 
 the chimney and tiles, into the space between 
 the rafters and ceiling of one of the bed- 
 rooms. There they had built their nest. In 
 doing so, it seemed that they had done some 
 damage to the roof, perhaps, by eating away 
 the wood of the roof, and thus letting in the 
 rain ; for one day in the summer, after heavy 
 rain, a large brown spot appeared in the ceil- 
 ing of the bed-room, and it was feared that 
 the plaster would fall. Attempts had been 
 made to drive them out, by blowing the smoke 
 of burning sulphur into the hole; but the 
 nest was too far in to be reached. To take 
 down the ceiling would have made the matter 
 E 
 
50 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 worse, for the hornets would then have been 
 able to get into the room; and though they 
 rarely sting any one unless provoked, they are 
 likely to become entangled in people's dresses, 
 or to crawl into corners, where one may lay 
 one's hand on them by accident, and thus be 
 stung before the danger is seen. Hornets 
 live principally on flies ; and in some parts of 
 North America, farmers are in the habit of 
 hanging up their nests in their houses, in 
 order that they may drive away the flies, 
 which they do without injuring any one. Mr. 
 Miller however thought, and so I suppose 
 would most other people, that the flies were 
 the less evil of the two. 
 
 All this time Henry was very anxious to 
 blow his eggs, in order to place them in his 
 museum ; so, when the hornets' hole was 
 stopped up, Mr. Miller cut off a piece about 
 six inches long from a tall stem of grass he 
 had brought from the wood, and having made 
 a hole in the egg rather nearer the small end 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 51 
 
 than the large, showed him how to hold the 
 egg between his finger and thumb on a level 
 with his eyes, and then, carefully putting in 
 the straw, to blow gently. The first attempt 
 was unsuccessful, for holding it too tightly, 
 it broke and fell to the ground, but the others 
 were done very well, and taken into the house. 
 
 Eggs are less liable to be broken when 
 blown than when they are not, because, being 
 then empty, they are so light as to bear a 
 short fall ; but still they require great caution 
 in handling ; and as Henry was only allowed 
 to have a museum on condition that everything 
 in it was kept in excellent order, and properly 
 taken care of, he followed a plan in keeping 
 them which his father taught him, and which 
 he found a very good one. It was as follows: 
 
 He divided a sheet of cardboard into pieces 
 of equal size, each measuring about two inches 
 long and an inch and a half wide. A line was 
 then ruled with a lead pencil, about the third 
 of an inch from one of the long sides. Along 
 
 E2 
 
52 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 the line thus made, the point of a sharp pen- 
 knife was drawn, just heavily enough to cut 
 half way through the card. This made it very 
 easy to turn up a border, which served two 
 purposes first, to take up the card; and, 
 secondly, to write the name of a bird on. The 
 eggs, as soon as they were blown, were laid 
 in a warm place to dry, care being taken that 
 they should neither roll away nor be blown 
 away, and that the hole should be upwards. 
 When they were thoroughly dry, the name of 
 the egg was written on the border of the card, 
 and the egg itself fastened with gum or paste, 
 or, best of all, with India-rubber glue, to the 
 card, in such a way that the hole rested on the 
 card. If the egg happened to have a large 
 hole in it, a small piece of thin paper was glued 
 over the opening to keep out insects. Large 
 eggs were fastened on singly, one on a card ; 
 small ones in pairs ; and by the side of each 
 egg was written a number corresponding to a 
 similar number in a memorandum book, in 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 53 
 
 which was written down a statement of the 
 day, year, and place, when and where it was 
 found, together with a short description of the 
 nest, and anything else worth noticing. The 
 cards, with the eggs in them, were then laid 
 in rows in the drawers of a cabinet, so that 
 they might always be kept from light, which 
 would destroy their colour. 
 
 Before the end of the summer, there were 
 between twenty and thirty kinds of eggs in 
 the collection ; but, among them all, there was 
 not one the loss of which occasioned pain to 
 the parent birds, with the exception of the 
 starling's eggs, and some few others taken 
 from nests which the persons who found them 
 were obliged to destroy in the course of their 
 work. 
 
 Persons to whom the collection was shown 
 admired it very much, but generally asked if 
 it was not cruel to rob so many birds' nests. 
 When, however, they heard that not a single 
 nest had been wilfully destroyed, nor an egg 
 
54 
 
 BIRDS NESTS. 
 
 taken with the knowledge of the parent birds, 
 they altered their minds, and thought that a 
 knowledge of birds' eggs thus made a branch 
 of Natural History, and studied in such a way 
 as to avoid the least approach to cruelty was 
 not only harmless in itself, but might teach 
 young persons to be considerate in all their 
 dealings with others. Mr. Miller, too, was of 
 opinion that if a boy, in spite of his eagerness 
 after birds' nests, could be taught to deny 
 himself the possession of an egg altogether, if 
 he could not obtain it without being cruel, he 
 was actually learning a lesson in humanity. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 55 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 EGGS WHITE, WITHOUT SPOTS. 
 
 THE BARN OWL. Strix flammea. 
 
 PLATE I. EIG. 5. 
 
 THIS bird builds its nest or rather lays its 
 eggs, for the nest is a very simple structure 
 in barns, churches, ruins of all kinds, and in 
 hollow trees. Its eggs, which are from four 
 to six in number, are pure white, about an inch 
 and a half long, or rather more, and are much 
 rounded at the smaller end. It has been ob- 
 served, that the nest of this bird sometimes con- 
 tains eggs and young birds at the same time ; 
 and one instance in particular has been noticed 
 of a nest which contained two eggs, and when 
 these were hatched, two more were laid, which 
 latter were probably hatched by the warmth of 
 the young birds ; a third laying taking place 
 after the latter were hatched ; and the nest at 
 
56 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 last contained six young owls of three different 
 ages, all of which were reared. (Fig. 1.) The 
 eggs of the Tawny Owl, Syrnium stridula, are 
 usually laid in a hole of a tree. They are 
 larger than those of the Barn Owl, and are 
 generally three or four in number. After the 
 young have left the nest, they perch among the 
 branches of the tree near the nest, where 
 the parent birds still continue to feed them. 
 They are easily reared by hand, and if, when 
 thoroughly fledged, they are allowed to have 
 their liberty, they rarely fail to frequent the 
 place where they were brought up. 
 
 WOOD-PIGEON oil RING DOVE. Columla 
 Palumbus. 
 
 THE Wood-Pigeon builds its nest of a few 
 sticks, loosely put together, on the stout branch 
 of a tree, a spreading bough, the fork of a fir 
 or other tree, or on a massive bunch of ivy, 
 usually not less than fifteen feet from the 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 57 
 
 ground. It lays two white eggs, of about the 
 same size as those of the white owl, but longer 
 in proportion to the breadth. The old birds 
 are very shy, and usually desert the nest if any 
 one touches their eggs, though far from being 
 so particular if their young are hatched. The 
 Stock Dove, Columba GEnas, builds in the 
 hollows of pollard-trees, and lays two eggs, 
 smaller than those of the last. The turtle 
 Dove, Columba Turtur, builds a nest similar in 
 character to that of the wood-pigeon, and in 
 like situations. It also lays two eggs, which 
 may easily be distinguished by their very 
 much smaller size. 
 
 GREEN WOODPECKER. Picus viridis. 
 PLATE I. PIG. 3. 
 
 THERE are four kinds of British wood- 
 pecker, one of which, the Great Black Wood- 
 pecker, is so rare, that the most eager searcher 
 after birds' nests must not hope to obtain its 
 eggs. The others are less unfrequent ; and 
 
58 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 the young oologist, if he lives in a woodland 
 district, and is skilful in swarming a tree, 
 stands a fair chance of making a prize of some 
 of them. The Green Woodpecker, Picus viridis, 
 the largest of the three, hollows out for itself 
 a hole in the trunk of an ash or elm, always 
 choosing, it is said, a spot in which there are 
 symptoms of incipient decay. This statement, 
 however, requires confirmation. It constructs 
 no nest, but lays its eggs on some of the chips 
 which it has torn off in the course of its 
 operations. As if afraid lest, by scattering at 
 the foot of the tree the fragments of wood re- 
 moved during its excavations, it should betray 
 its haunts, it has the credit of carrying them 
 away to a distance. It lays from five to seven 
 eggs, smooth, shining, and pure white, and 
 about an inch and a quarter in length. As it 
 belongs to the order of Climbers, the young 
 birds show their natural propensity at a very 
 early age, climbing about the trunk of the 
 tree before they are able to fly. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 59 
 
 The Great Spotted Woodpecker, Picus major, 
 resembles the preceding in habits, and its eggs, 
 which are also white, and about five in number, 
 are an inch long. The female bird exhibits 
 great attachment to her eggs. Montagu men- 
 tions an instance where, "notwithstanding 
 a chisel and mallet were used to enlarge the 
 hole, the female did not attempt to fly out 
 till the hand was introduced, when she quitted 
 the tree at another opening. The eggs were 
 deposited two feet below the opening, on the 
 decayed wood, without the smallest appear- 
 ance of a nest." 
 
 The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Picus 
 minor, also lays its eggs in a hole in a tree, 
 choosing one which has a small opening, evi- 
 dently for the sake of security. The number 
 of its eggs is generally five, and they are about 
 three-quarters of an inch in length, very smooth, 
 and of so delicate a structure that, though of 
 a pure white when blown, they are of a light 
 flesh-colour before the yolk is removed. 
 
60 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 WRYNECK. Yunx Torquilla. 
 THIS beautifully marked bird, popularly 
 known as the Cuckoo's Mate, because it ap- 
 pears and departs about the same period with 
 that bird, is closely allied with the wood- 
 peckers in structure, and deposits its eggs in 
 similar places, constructing no nest, though it 
 does not object to make use of one which has 
 been deserted by another bird. The eggs are 
 from six to nine or ten in number, white, 
 smooth, and shining, resembling, in every 
 respect, those of the lesser spotted wood- 
 pecker. The wryneck, after it has once se- 
 lected a hole for its eggs, becomes so attached 
 to it, that no trifling annoyance will drive it 
 away, and has been even known to haunt 
 the same tree after its eggs have been several 
 times removed. 
 
 HEN-HARRIER. Circus cyancus. 
 
 THE Hen-Harrier is a bird of by no means 
 common occurrence, and is generally found in 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 61 
 
 marshy districts, especially Cambridgeshire. 
 Its nest is composed of small sticks and coarse 
 grass, with a very slender lining. In a level 
 country, it commonly chooses a tuft of furze, 
 or some other low bush ; but in hilly districts 
 it not unfrequently places its nest on the bare 
 ground. The eggs vary from three to five, 
 and are most frequently of a bluish white, 
 though occasionally they are marked with 
 light spots of yellowish brown. 
 
 MARSH HARRIER. Circus aruginosus. 
 
 THIS bird, as its name implies, frequents 
 the same districts as the last, but is even less 
 common. Its nest, which is placed on the 
 ground among short wood, furze, or fern,. is 
 composed of sticks, rushes, and short grass, 
 often used in such profusion, that the top of 
 the nest is a foot or more from the ground. 
 Sometimes, though rarely, it builds in the fork 
 of a large tree. The eggs closely resemble 
 
62 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 those of the hen-harrier. The nest and eggs 
 of the Circus cineraceus are smaller than those 
 of the last, but very similar. The eggs of all 
 three species may readily be distinguished 
 from other white eggs, by a fine greenish blue 
 tint on the inside, which is most evident when 
 the egg is held up to the light. 
 
 WATER OUZEL. Cinclus aqiiaticm. 
 
 I HAVE never had the pleasure of seeing the 
 nest of this bird, which is said to be very 
 beautiful. Neither nest nor bird is likely to 
 be confounded with any other. The latter, a 
 bright, active, cheerful warbler, I have many 
 a time watched with admiration alight on a 
 mossy island of stone, round which the spark- 
 ling waters of a mountain streamlet have 
 dashed in some wild ravine, far away from the 
 haunts of men. Glad should I have been to 
 follow him to his mossy home ; but no, off he 
 flies, dashes into the clear water, and is gone 
 where nothing but a bird can follow him. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 63 
 
 His nest is not far off, no doubt concealed 
 with his usual art, under one of the projecting 
 stones that line the rocky bank of the stream, 
 perhaps behind the crystal sheet that shoots 
 from yon noisy waterfall. There, surrounded 
 by water, and enveloped in a perpetual mist, 
 the water ouzel has established his warm and 
 comfortable nest, a mass of closely inter- 
 woven moss, seven or eight inches deep, ten 
 or twelve inches in diameter, with a hollow 
 chamber in the centre, lined with a few dry 
 leaves. One might almost suppose that he 
 had turned a wren out of doors, and adapted 
 her house to his own dimensions. The eggs 
 are somewhat pointed at the smaller end, 
 rather smaller than those of the thrush, and 
 pure white. 
 
 KINGFISHER. Alcedo Ispida. 
 PLATE I. FIG. 2. 
 
 THE nest of the Kingfisher was the subject 
 of a pleasant fable among the ancients. Con- 
 
64 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 structed of some waterproof material, it was 
 said to be buoyed up by the waves, to be 
 drifted to and fro by the ocean currents, and 
 to have the wondrous property of creating a 
 calm to a considerable distance around it. 
 Halcyon days we read of still, though it is not 
 every one, perhaps, who is aware that the 
 term is borrowed from this beautiful little 
 bird. Some modern naturalists, too, have told 
 pretty stories about the kingfisher's nest ; they 
 do not, indeed, direct us to search for it in 
 the centre of a calm spot in the ocean, but 
 describe it as wrought together of pearly fish- 
 bones, interwoven with a skill little short of 
 miraculous. The truth, however, seems to be, 
 that the fabled bird, though prince of fisher- 
 men, is but an indifferent architect, laying its 
 eggs on a mass of half-digested fish-bones, 
 and other refuse, placed at the extremity of a 
 deep hole, which slopes upwards from the face 
 of a bank. It is even doubtful whether this 
 hole is excavated by itself, or is not rather the 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 65 
 
 deserted habitation of a water-rat or sand- 
 martin. It usually lays six or seven eggs, 
 which are nearly orbicular, of a uniform white 
 tinged with the most delicate green, 
 
 SWIFT. Cypselus Apus. 
 
 NATURALISTS have given to this bird the 
 specific name Apus (footless) ; and, indeed, its 
 legs are so short, that were it to alight on the 
 ground, it would be totally unable to raise 
 itself so as to take flight again. Consequently, 
 it has little power of collecting materials for 
 building. Some ornithologists state that it 
 gathers the materials of its nest while on the 
 wing ; others, with more show of reason, state 
 that it universally occupies the deserted nest 
 of a house-sparrow, selecting one which has 
 been placed in the wall of a church, or some 
 other elevated building. When it has once 
 established itself, it usually retains its habi- 
 tation for many years, which, as it is never 
 
66 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 repaired, in process of time acquires a flat- 
 tened form, and has the appearance of having 
 been cemented together by the art of the bird. 
 It usually lays two eggs, an inch long, and of 
 a pure, spotless white. If these are taken or 
 destroyed, their place is supplied by another 
 pair, but only a single brood is reared in a 
 season. 
 
 HOUSE MAIITIN. Hirundo urUca. 
 
 PLATE! Fm.l. 
 
 THE famous lexicographer, Dr. Johnsor 
 who loved brick walls far more than grassy 
 banks, is reported to have addressed some 
 birds which he observed in a wild district of 
 Scotland, with the exclamation, " What, have 
 wings and stay here ! " The city doctor 
 probably placed the house martin as first 
 among the philosophers of the feathered tribe, 
 for rarely is it seen at any distance from the 
 haunts of men, and still more unfrequently 
 does it place its nest away from the friendly 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 67 
 
 shelter of a human habitation. We have not 
 space to repeat a tenth part of all the interest- 
 ing facts which have been recorded about the 
 architectural skill of this universal favourite, 
 of its wanderings to sunny lands, or of the 
 wonderful constancy with which it returns, 
 year after year, to the same spot, or of the 
 perseverance with which it adheres to its ori- 
 ginal habitation, notwithstanding the repeated 
 heartless efforts made to dislodge it. Better 
 adapted by its nature for perching on the 
 ground than the swift, it may often be seen in 
 summer by the edge of some road-side pond, 
 picking up particles of mud, which it tempers 
 with some natural secretion, and attaches to 
 the wall of a house, preferring the cojner of a 
 window, and always building from the bottom 
 upwards. It lines the inside with straws and 
 broken stems of grass, and finishes off with 
 a layer of wool, hair, feathers, and any other 
 soft materials which it may chance to find 
 near the dwellings of men. The eggs, four 
 
68 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 or five in number, are of a long oval form, 
 rather pointed, and about three quarters of an 
 inch long ; their colour is pure, spotless white. 
 
 SAND MARTIN. Hirundo riparia. 
 
 THE Sand or Bank Martin derives its name 
 from the place which it selects for building its 
 nest. Many interesting accounts have been 
 written of its skill as an excavator, the most 
 pleasing of which, perhaps, is that of Mr. 
 Robert Dick Duncan. He says, " It is 
 extremely pleasant to observe the process of 
 burrowing ; and it is by no" means difficult 
 to enjoy a view of their operations. Taking 
 with me a small telescope, I seated myself at 
 a little distance, on the opposite bank of the 
 river, early on a warm morning in May. The 
 swallows, no way molested by my presence, 
 continued at intervals to excavate their nests. 
 Grasping the perpendicular surface of the bank 
 with their claws, and steadying themselves by 
 means of their tails, they .commenced working 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 69 
 
 by picking a small hole with their bills. This 
 hole they gradually enlarged by moving round 
 and round, and edging off the sand with the 
 side of their bills, which they kept shut. 
 Their progress at first was slow, but after 
 they had obtained room to stand in the exca- 
 vation, they proceeded very rapidly, working 
 within with their bills, and carefully pushing 
 out the loosened sand with their feet. At 
 one time the male, at another the female, was 
 the excavator. When their burrowing was 
 impeded by the resistance of a stone, or any 
 other obstruction, if unsuccessful in their 
 efforts to remove it, they left the cell, and 
 commenced digging a new one. They en- 
 gaged in these exercises only for a short time 
 each morning, as they abandoned themselves 
 to enjoyment throughout the day. The nests 
 were deposited at the ends of the cells, the 
 depth and direction of which varied much. 
 Some extended three feet, others not more 
 than six inches ; some were horizontal, some 
 
70 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 descended nearly perpendicularly for a little, 
 and then rose again; while others turned in 
 many directions. In all, however, the nest 
 was a little elevated above the entrance of the 
 cell, no doubt to get rid of moisture. The 
 materials of the nest were uniformly a few 
 straws of hay, and many whitish feathers. 
 The number of eggs usually found in each nest 
 was six. They are small, of a snow-white colour, 
 tinged with a sulphureous yellow when newly 
 laid. This tinge disappears when the eggs are 
 blown, and arises from the yolk shining through 
 the shell, which is of a very fine, thin texture. 
 Of all our swallows, these seem to be the most 
 social, nestling in numerous communities, and 
 often within a few inches of each other. 
 
 LESSER GREBE OR DABCHICK. Podiceps 
 
 minor. 
 PLATE I. FIG. 4. 
 
 THOUGH this amusing little diver is common 
 enough in our lakes and larger rivers, its nest 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 71 
 
 is by no means of frequent occurrence ; not 
 that there is any doubt of its breeding habi- 
 tually with us, but that it is usually placed 
 in situations which are difficult of access. It 
 chooses the side of a lake or river, where, 
 among reeds, flags, and other tall aquatic 
 plants, it constructs a rather large nest, if not 
 actually on the surface of the water, yet not 
 much raised above it. The nest itself is com- 
 posed of soft green water-weeds and mosses, 
 mixed with slime. The eggs are from four to 
 six, about an inch and a half long, of a chalky 
 white when first laid, but soon becoming dis- 
 coloured by the substance of the nest, and the 
 soiled feet of the parent bird. Their shape is 
 peculiar, as they are nearly equally pointed at 
 both ends. When the parent bird quits them 
 in search of food, she invariably covers them 
 with part of the materials of the nest, whether 
 for the purpose of hiding them, or of retaining 
 their heat, it is hard to say. However this 
 may be, so effectually are they concealed, that 
 
72 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 unless the bird be seen to leave her nest, the 
 latter is rarely discovered, except by pulling 
 into the shore the masses of weeds which 
 abound in such localities* 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 73 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE starling's nest was destroyed in good 
 time, for the next day it rained very heavily, 
 and on the day following there was but little 
 improvement in the weather. Even if it had 
 not been pulled out by the gardener, it could 
 have scarcely been used again by the birds, so 
 thoroughly was it soaked with water. 
 
 The chaffinch sat steadily on, just outside 
 the dining-room window, and continued, in 
 spite of the pouring rain, to keep her eggs dry. 
 Whether she ever left her nest to feed, could 
 not be found out. Henry often went to the 
 window to see, and there was always the same 
 tail projecting over the side of the nest. The 
 same tail at least it appeared to be ; but per- 
 haps the cock-bird sometimes took his wife's 
 place, in order that she might go and look for 
 a dinner, or perhaps he brought her food. 
 
74 BIRD'S NESTS. 
 
 She had not far to go, for, every day, crumbs 
 of bread and scraps of meat were scattered in 
 the path, which seldom stayed there long. 
 The chaffinches, however, were not the only 
 birds who came for these. A pair of robins 
 were constant visitors, and so was a cole- 
 tit. The robins were pronounced to be very 
 quarrelsome birds, because even when they 
 had had as much as they wanted, they often 
 drove away any other birds which came 
 down for a share. The tit was a very funny 
 fellow; he was particularly fond of picking 
 a bone, standing on it in all possible attitudes, 
 jerking about and twisting his head from side 
 to side, picking at little bits of gristle, and 
 poking his short beak into holes in the oddest 
 manner that can be conceived. 
 
 None of them ever seemed to get wet, anc 
 Henry supposed that they kept moving about, 
 and fluttered with their wings, to shake off the 
 drops ; but he fancied that the chaffinch, who 
 sat all day without moving, must be very wet 
 
BIRDS' NESTS, 75 
 
 and uncomfortable. But Mr. Miller reminded 
 him of the way in which ducks dip their heads 
 and necks under water, and let the round 
 drops run down their backs like quicksilver. 
 " While birds are alive," he said, " they can 
 bear being exposed to a great deal of rain 
 without getting very wet ; and besides this, 
 they are so thoroughly thatched with feathers, 
 that even if the outer ones got wet, the soft 
 down beneath kept them warm and dry. But 
 even if the rain wetted them, we ought not to 
 take it for granted that they are then as un- 
 comfortable as we should be if we were to sit 
 still in wet clothes for a whole day. We ought 
 not to doubt that the Great Creator of the 
 world has given to all animals the power of 
 enjoying the kind of life which their instinct 
 teaches them to lead. I can quite believe that 
 a wren, sitting motionless in its dark hole of 
 a nest, is all the while enjoying life, the gift 
 of God, as much as the lark, lifted up and 
 praising God in the firmament." 
 
76 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 " But I would much rather live in the sky, 
 like the lark, than stay all day long in a dark 
 hole, like the wren." 
 
 " Yes, no doubt you would, and so would I, 
 because God has given to us a natural inclina- 
 tion to clirnb up to high places, eyes that we 
 can only use in the light, and a taste for sweet 
 sounds ; but other creatures a mole, for in- 
 stance would not be so happy among the 
 clouds as when employed in hunting for worms 
 in his underground galleries. Last summer, 
 you thought the dabchick's life must be a 
 pleasant one, because he spent the whole of his 
 time paddling about in the cool water, and 
 diving among the water-lilies. You would 
 have thought differently had the weather been 
 cold, and the river fringed with ice ; but he, 
 I doubt not, enjoyed himself equally at both 
 seasons. Either his feathers kept him warm, 
 or if the cold pierced through his velvety coat, 
 it was pleasant to him. You may see herons, 
 in the coldest weather, standing up to their 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 77 
 
 knees in water, and, like your thrush, as still 
 as if they were stuffed; but you must not 
 suppose that they suffer from the cold as much 
 as we should if we were to take their place. 
 It does not follow, you see, that what you 
 think unpleasant and comfortless, is so in 
 reality to the animals to whom God has given 
 a nature different from yours. There is a bird 
 in the Arctic regions, which has been seen 
 flying about and perching on crags of ice which 
 never melt, where there are no fields to be 
 green with grass, and there are no living things 
 but itself; where the tops of the rocks are 
 covered with snow, and if sometimes the face 
 of a cliff is uncovered, it bears no vegetation, 
 but a lichen so thin that you could scarcely 
 scrape it from the rock with a knife. A dismal 
 region, indeed, we should think it ; but do you 
 suppose that the snow -bun ting would stay 
 there if it suffered as much from cold as we 
 do ? No ; since it has the powder of flying, it 
 would use its wings to some purpose, and seek 
 
78 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 another climate that suited it better. Every 
 bird nay every insect may teach us a useful 
 lesson, namely, to think that the happiest lot 
 in life is the one which God has assigned to 
 ourselves : that is the real way to be content." 
 
 "And does the snow-bunting stay in the 
 Arctic regions all the year round ?" 
 
 " No/' said Mr. Miller, " though it has often 
 been seen flying about far within the line of 
 never-melting ice, it obtains its food further to 
 the south, where it builds its nest among loose 
 stones, and in the crevices of rocks. An Arctic 
 voyager, Captain Lyons, found a nest of 
 dry grass, neatly lined with deer's hair and a 
 few feathers, in the bosom of the corpse of an 
 Esquimaux child. Captain Parry also found 
 one among some drift timber lying on the 
 beach; it contained four young birds, and 
 though the sailors sat down to breakfast within 
 three or four feet of the nest, the old birds 
 frequently came and fed their little ones with 
 grubs. In the winter, when the country for 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 79 
 
 hundreds of miles is covered with deep snow, 
 the snow-bunting travels to less severe climates 
 in quest of food, and is not unfrequent even in 
 England. In Scotland it is yet more common, 
 and is supposed to build its nest near the patches 
 of snow which remain all the year round on the 
 summits of the highest Scottish mountains." 
 
 " I suppose I shall never have a snow-bunt- 
 ing's egg/' said Henry. 
 
 " Well, indeed, I do not think it very likely; 
 but I dare say we shall find, all in good time, 
 nests of the yellow and reed buntings, as they 
 both build in this neighbourhood. And now 
 run and fetch me the third volume of Mac- 
 gillivray's British Birds, and we will read his 
 description of the way in which a pair of wrens 
 built their ' hole of a nest.' ' 
 
 " The account is too long to be given here 
 entire ; but the substance is as follows : c Yes- 
 terday,' says Mr, Weir, ' a pair of common 
 wrens flew about for a considerable time, in a 
 particular part of my shrubbery, as if in search 
 
80 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 of a proper situation jfor constructing the 
 dwelling which should contain their intended 
 brood. About a quarter past six this morning, 
 they appeared to be engaged in the most 
 serious consultation. They hopped up and 
 down amongst the branches of a Spanish juni- 
 per, each of which they surveyed with parti- 
 cular attention. At seven o'clock, in one of 
 its clefts, about two feet from the ground, the 
 female began to lay the foundation with the 
 decayed leaf.of a lime-tree. Although two 
 men were at work within seven yards of it, 
 yet she, like a steady and active workman, was 
 so bent upon the completion of her design, 
 that she laboured as if unaware of their pre- 
 sence. Her perseverance was indeed astonish- 
 ing, for she sometimes carried in bundles of 
 leaves nearly as big as herself. To her beloved 
 partner she seemed to give intense delight, for 
 he sat upon the branch of a Portugal laurel, a 
 few feet above her, viewing most anxiously her 
 operations ; and now and then, having mounted 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 81 
 
 to the top of a plane-tree, he poured forth his 
 sweet and powerful song, and continued to do 
 so nearly all day. He gave her but little 
 assistance, thinking, no doubt, that his music 
 was enough to lighten her fatigues, and to 
 support her under them. Between eight and 
 nine she was most actively employed, for during 
 the space of ten minutes, she sometimes carried 
 in four, five, and even six bundles of leaves, 
 about the fitness of which for her purpose she 
 seemed to be very careful for I observed that, 
 afte* examining them most carefully, she let 
 drop what did not suit her. After having 
 made the foundation firm, by pressing the 
 leaves with her breast, and turning herself 
 round upon them in all directions, she began 
 to raise its sides. In this operation, however, 
 she was not so expeditious, as she was under 
 the necessity of flying to a greater distance for 
 materials, in the search of which she sometimes 
 remained out eight and ten minutes. "From 
 the inside she built the under part of the 
 
82 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 opening with the stalks of leaves, which she 
 fitted together very ingeniously with moss. 
 The upper part was constructed with moss 
 only. To round it and give it the necessary 
 firmness, she pressed it with her breast and 
 wings, and turned her body in different direc- 
 tions. Most wonderful to tell, about seven 
 o'clock in the evening all the outside of the 
 snug little building was finished.' ' 
 
 " Mr. Weir was not the kind of person who 
 did things by halves ; so, as early as half-past 
 two next morning he was on the watch again. 
 There had been heavy rain during the night, 
 but the nest was already waterproof. At ten 
 minutes past three, the male bird hopped round 
 and round, seemingly much pleased with the 
 progress his busy little wife had made. He 
 then flew to the top of a tree, and began to 
 pipe his morning song. At half-past three 
 Mrs. Wren went into her nest, and having 
 stayed five minutes to set matters to rights, 
 worked alone till between seven and eight 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 83 
 
 o'clock, when her husband came to her help, 
 and both worked pleasantly together until 
 eleven, bringing in and fitting moss. Prom 
 eleven till a quarter to one they were absent, 
 perhaps taking some refreshment. They then 
 worked again till four, still bringing in fine 
 moss. Between four and five o'clock, Mrs. 
 Wren again worked alone, but not so industri- 
 ously, as she brought home only three feathers. 
 After the day's work was over, Mr. Weir placed 
 a slender stalk across the opening of the nest, 
 in such a way that the birds could not get in 
 without removing it. This was not gone till 
 half-past eight on the third day. Both birds 
 again worked together till dinner time; but 
 every time the male bird assisted, he flew to 
 the top of the nearest tree, and sung aloud the 
 praises of his industry. At half-past two o'clock 
 the day's work was over. On the fourth day 
 they did not begin to build till nearly nine 
 o'clock, when they went in with fine moss and 
 feathers, about once in a quarter of an hour. 
 
WREN'S NEST. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 85 
 
 c Whilst/ says Mr. Weir, ' I was anxiously 
 watching their motions in the midst of a very 
 thick arbor-vitae tree, about nine feet from their 
 nest, the female, who was sitting at the door 
 of it, having noticed me, set up her cry of 
 alarm. The male, upon hearing it, appeared 
 to be in a state of great irritation. I imme- 
 diately ran off to some distance, pursued by 
 the little creatures, who were scolding me with 
 great vehemence. On the fifth day, they gave 
 over working at half-past one. The sixth day 
 was Sunday, when they were not watched. 
 On the seventh day they began to build at 
 twenty minutes to eight o'clock, went to dinner 
 at their usual hour, and brought in only a few 
 feathers in the afternoon. On the (eighth and 
 ninth days they worked only till ten o'clock. 
 On the forenoon of the tenth day, the nest was 
 finished. It was by far the neatest of its kind 
 that I have seen ; and little wonder, when we 
 consider the long time which they took in the 
 erection of it. I regret to say that it was torn 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 down by a cat that frequented the neighbour- 
 hood. The female, who had gone into it to 
 lay her first egg, had attracted its notice, and 
 had in all probability been devoured, as I never 
 saw her again/ ' 
 
 " Oh, how sorry I am," cried Henry, " to 
 hear the sad ending of that pretty story ! I am 
 sure that no one who heard it would ever de- 
 stroy a wren's nest. I dare say, too, many 
 other birds take just as much pains as wrens 
 do. I never liked cats, and now I shall like 
 them less than ever." 
 
 " As for that matter," said Mr. Miller, " I 
 do not see that poor puss is more to be blamed 
 for catching a bird for food than a mouse. If 
 the nest had been torn out by a mischievous 
 boy, out of mere wilfulness, or to get the eggs, 
 there would have been more reason in your 
 anger. Puss made her supper off a wren, 
 which, perhaps, had just swept away a cobweb 
 and dined on the spider, shortly after he had 
 made a comfortable breakfast on a fly. Any 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 87 
 
 one would be hard-hearted who took pleasure in 
 watching animals thus destroying one another ; 
 but we must not forget that it is more natural 
 for a cat to catch birds than to purr by the 
 fire-side and lap milk, and that she is no more 
 conscious of inflicting pain when she pounces 
 on a bird, than a chaffinch is when he picks 
 up a grain of wheat/' 
 
 " But, papa, I am afraid that our cat will 
 have some of the birds that are building in 
 the garden ; for yesterday morning, as I was 
 sitting under the walnut-tree learning my 
 lesson, all at once I heard the loud cry of a 
 blackbird, in the place where we found the 
 nest afterwards. He did not fly away though, 
 as he did when we frightened hiin, but flew 
 about from bush to bush, as if he were very 
 angry, and in a minute all the birds in the 
 neighbourhood seemed to come and join in 
 the screaming. I think there must have 
 been a dozen at least. They did not mind 
 me a bit, for some of them came close to me. 
 
88 BIRDS NESTS. 
 
 Just afterwards I saw the cat skulking along 
 through the shrubbery, and as soon as she 
 was gone, the noise stopped. Don't you think 
 they must have been afraid of her ? " 
 
 " No doubt their instinct told them that 
 the cat was their enemy ; but what good they 
 thought would come of their screaming, I 
 cannot say. Perhaps, w T hen birds join toge- 
 ther in that way, the cat may fancy that some 
 mischief will happen to her if she persists, 
 and so she is really frightened away. When a 
 hawk comes near a village in summer, you 
 may often see a flock of swallows flying after 
 it, and twittering with their utmost might. 
 I do not suppose that with their soft beaks 
 they could do the hawk much harm ; but the 
 robber, bold as he is, always skulks away as if 
 he was afraid to join battle with them. What 
 rejoicing there must be among the swallows 
 when their enemy is gone !" 
 
 " But how comes it that the small birds never 
 take any notice of my hawk ? I have often 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 89 
 
 seen chaffinches and tits come and perch in the 
 same tree with him. and hop about from branch 
 to branch as if he were one of themselves/' 
 
 " I have observed the same thing," said 
 Mr. Miller, " and do not know how to account 
 for it. Your hawk is a kestril, not nearly so 
 cunning a bird as the sparrow-hawk, which is 
 the one hustled by the swallows. Perhaps the 
 little birds only know their enemy w r hen he is 
 flying ; but your bird cannot fly at all, because 
 one of his wings is cut ; or perhaps they do not 
 see him, and he, knowing that he cannot fly, 
 does not attempt to chase them. Some orni- 
 thologists say that the kestril lives on mice 
 and beetles, and never kills birds ; but others 
 say they have seen them pounce on birds. 
 1 must confess that I am inclined to agree 
 with the last, for your hawk picks off the 
 feathers of the small birds we give him, quite 
 as if he was following a natural habit." 
 
 " But we have talked enough about birds 
 for the present, so now for lessons/' 
 
90 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 EGGS WHITE, SPOTTED WITH RED, BROWN, OR BLACK. 
 
 HOUSE SPARROW. Pyrgita domestica. 
 PLATE II. FIG. 2. 
 
 THIS familiar, nay saucy little bird, would 
 seem to have lived so long in the society of 
 man, as to have learnt to imitate him in the 
 variety of his dwellings. No place conies 
 amiss to it. Does a chimney smoke when we 
 light our first autumnal fire? ten to one 
 that a pair of these birds has not stuffed 
 it up with a bundle of hay and feathers. 
 Is a leaden spout found to be choked? 
 a house-sparrow, in all probability, is the 
 culprit. Does a wooden shoot unexpectedly 
 overflow during a thunderstorm ? no one is 
 to blame but those troublesome sparrows. A 
 pigeon-house is left unoccupied; but before 
 a season has passed, a troop of house-sparrows 
 
IN 
 
 
 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 91 
 
 have taken possession. Is a hole left in a wall 
 to let air into a loft or garret ? it is forth- 
 with rendered useless by a sparrow's nest. 
 Do the eaves of a thatched cottage show 
 symptoms of decay ? a flock of sparrows dis- 
 cover the weak point, and add to the mischief 
 by excavating dwellings for themselves. A 
 hole in a tree offers an asylum to another pair; 
 to another the branches of a poplar, or a mass 
 of knotted ivy ; while by others, as dishonest as 
 idle, the newly finished and carefully plastered 
 dwelling of a house martin is most unscru- 
 pulously appropriated. The materials of which 
 the nests are constructed, are scarcely less 
 varied than the site. Unsophisticated sparrows, 
 if such there be, probably confine .themselves 
 to hay and feathers, but one would not be 
 unlikely to find in any casual nest the follow- 
 ing heterogeneous articles, a bit of red cloth, 
 a lock of wool, a few scraps of paper, a piece 
 of stay-lace, a tuft of hair, a shoe-tie, &c., all 
 interwoven with hay and feathers. But though 
 
92 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 the sparrow is impudent to men, and over- 
 bearing to other birds, its character is re- 
 deemed by its extreme attachment to its 
 young, as may be proved by the following 
 well-authenticated anecdote : 
 
 " A pair of sparrows who had built in the 
 thatched roof of a house at Poole, were ob- 
 served to continue their regular visits to the 
 nest long after the time when the young birds 
 take flight. This unusual circumstance con<- 
 tinued throughout the year ; and in the winter, 
 a gentleman, who had all along observed them, 
 determined on investigating its cause. He 
 therefore mounted a ladder, and found one of 
 the young ones detained a prisoner by means 
 of a piece of string or worsted which formed 
 part of the nest having become accidentally 
 twisted round its leg. Being thus prevented 
 from procuring its own sustenance, it had been 
 fed by the continued exertions of the parents." 
 
 The eggs, which measure somewhat less than 
 an inch, are white, spotted, and streaked with 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 93 
 
 ash-colour and dusky brown, the number and 
 size of their spots being liable to considerable 
 variation. 
 
 TREE SPARROW. Pyrgita montana. 
 
 THE nest of this bird closely resembles that 
 Of the preceding ; the eggs too are very simi- 
 lar, but smaller. They may, however, be 
 easily distinguished by observing whether the 
 plumage of the female resembles that of the 
 male. Both sexes of the Tree Sparrow have 
 the feathers of the head of a bright chestnut 
 colour, and a white ring round the neck ; while 
 the female House Sparrow has the head and 
 neck of a uniform brown colour. 
 
 PIED WAGTAIL. Motacitta Yarrellii. 
 
 PLATE II. FIG. 4. 
 
 As the Wagtail spends so large a portion of 
 its time in the vicinity of water, now searching 
 for aquatic insects in the mud, now skimming 
 the surface of the pond or stream, and cap- 
 
94 BIRDS 5 NESTS. 
 
 turing its prey, and anon coursing over the 
 aquatic weeds with so light a step, that not 
 even the slender water crowfoot bends be- 
 neath its weight, we should expect that, for 
 the convenience of supplying its young with 
 food, it would place its nest not very far 
 off. And such is the case. A hole in a 
 hedge, the side of a crumbling bank, a con- 
 venient corner in a dilapidated bridge, the 
 gnarled root of a tree, any of these places is 
 likely to contain the snug little nest of the 
 wagtail. It is built of dry grass, roots, and 
 moss, and lined with finer roots and hair, and 
 usually so placed as to be arched over by the 
 substance in which it is built. The eggs are 
 from four to five, three quarters of an inch 
 long, of a dull white ground, with numerous 
 blackish spots interspersed with lines or 
 blotches of the same colour, and occasionally 
 approach in colour and markings those of the 
 sparrow. The nest and eggs of the Yellow Wag- 
 tail (M.flava) closely resemble those of the Pied 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 95 
 
 Wagtail, so that it is not safe to decide on the 
 species to which any particular nest belongs, 
 unless the old bird has been observed to quit it. 
 
 CHIMNEY SWALLOW. Hirundo rustica. 
 
 PLATE II. PIG. 1. 
 
 So great is my respect for this the most 
 welcome of all our summer visitants, that I 
 have never voluntarily intruded on its privacy. 
 The only nest, indeed, which I have seen, is 
 that figured in the cut. One of the laths 
 supporting the roof of an outhouse, intended 
 for a calf-pen, had been accidentally broken, 
 so as to be suspended by only one extremity. 
 To this a pair of swallows had, with great 
 masonic skill, attached the birth-place of their 
 future brood. Seemingly well assured that 
 both the lath was strong enough to support 
 their dwelling, and that the disaster which 
 had befallen one end of it, would not happen 
 to the other, they laid a solid foundation of 
 mud, bits of straw, and roots, working the 
 
96 
 
 BIRDS NESTS. 
 
 sun- 
 
 whole into such a shape, that one might sup 
 pose them jealous of their Chinese brethren. 
 " If the latter/' one may imagine them to 
 have thought, " construct nests which are 
 
 SWALLOW'S NEST. 
 
 convertible into soup, we, for our parts, will 
 not be outdone. Behold, then, our attempt at 
 a soup-ladle ! " 
 
 The plaster is from one to two inches thick, 
 lined with hay, and finished off with feathers. 
 Their ordinary place of building is said to be 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 97 
 
 chimneys, unused shafts of mines, or old wells ; 
 sometimes under the roof of a barn or open 
 shed, between the rafters and the thatch or 
 tiles which form the covering. Yarrell speaks 
 of a nest made by a pair of swallows in the 
 half-open drawer of a small deal table in an 
 unoccupied garret, to which access was ob- 
 tained by a broken pane of glass. Pennant 
 mentions an instance in which a pair of 
 swallows attached their nest to the body and 
 wing of an owl nailed against a barn. A yet 
 more singular instance is recorded of a pair 
 which built their nest in the paddle-wheel of 
 a steamer, and reared their young, although 
 the vessel was daily put in motion. The eggs, 
 which are generally from four to six in num- 
 ber, are three quarters of an inch long, white, 
 speckled with ash-colour and brownish red. 
 
 NUTHATCH. Sitta Europoea. 
 
 PLATE II. FIG. 3. 
 
 A DESCRIPTION of the nest and eggs of this 
 interesting bird will be found at p. 12. 
 
 H 
 
98 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 GREAT TIT. Pants major. 
 PLATE III. FIG. 2. 
 
 THE Greater Titmouse usually lays its eggs 
 in the holes of trees or walls, constructing its 
 nest of moss, hair and feathers. It seems 
 also to have a strong predilection for the 
 deserted nest of some other bird, as the crow, 
 magpie, or nuthatch.* I cannot say to what 
 this caprice in the choice of a home is to be 
 attributed : perhaps to indolence, for he some- 
 times takes refuge in a hole, and there esta- 
 blishes himself without building any nest 
 whatever; perhaps to love of variety, a trait 
 in his character which is quite consistent with 
 his pert and foppish air. One place of resort 
 is certainly quite his own, that, namely, of an 
 unused pump, of his selecting which there 
 are many instances on record. The Greater 
 Tit lays from six to nine eggs, closely resem- 
 bling those of the nuthatch, except that the 
 
 * See page 191. . 
 

 U k I \ , 
 
 c fc L L I- e 
 
K f/ 
 
 ' 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 99 
 
 spots are usually smaller, more scattered, and 
 of a lighter colour. 
 
 TOM-TIT. Parus cceruleus. 
 
 THIS active and amusing little bird builds 
 its nest of grass, moss, hair, and feathers, in 
 the holes of decayed stumps of trees. Here 
 it lays from six to eighteen small white eggs, 
 copiously speckled with light red. Though 
 diminutive in size, it has a stout heart, and 
 will defend its nest against all aggressors with 
 patriotic obstinacy. When disturbed on its 
 nest, it frequently utters a hissing noise, either 
 in defiance of, or to strike terror into its 
 enemy. It will even peck at the fingers of 
 any one who attempts to molest it, and from 
 this habit has acquired the name of "Billy 
 Biter." So attached are these birds to their 
 nests, that they have been known to rear their 
 young after the stump in which they have fixed 
 their dwelling has been shattered to pieces. 
 The Marsh Tit (Parus palustris), (Plate III. 
 
 H2 
 
100 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 Fig. 1), the Cole Tit (Parus ater), the Creeper 
 (Certhiafamiliaris), all have nests and eggs so 
 closely resembling those of the Blue Tit, that 
 they are scarcley to be discriminated except by 
 watching the parent birds while leaving the 
 
 nest. 
 
 i 
 
 LONG-TAILED TIT. Parus caudatus. 
 
 IE in the course of his rambles, the egg- 
 collector should observe an oval mass of soft 
 green moss skilfully intermatted, woven to- 
 gether with cobwebs, decorated with scales 
 of silvery lichen, and covered above and on 
 all sides with the same beautiful material, with 
 the exception of a small hole on the least 
 exposed part, through which he cannot intro- 
 duce more than two of his fingers without 
 damaging the structure, he may be pretty 
 sure he has discovered a nest of the Long- 
 tailed Tit. He will not, of course, disturb it, 
 but if he waits till the brood is fledged, he 
 will do well to cut down the branch in which 
 
BIRDS' NESTS, 101 
 
 it is built, and suspend it in hi^fnuseum as a 
 specimen of the utmost skill which any British 
 bird can display. Who could believe that 
 from seven to twelve or more living, flying, 
 chirping birds were all reared within this 
 hollow ball ? But that they were so he may 
 even yet, if he pleases, satisfy himself by 
 watching the whole brood, with their parents, 
 flying about the hedges in the neighbourhood. 
 One would fancy that, having been so long 
 packed together in their snug little chamber, 
 they could not bear the idea of separating ; 
 for, during the whole of the remainder of the 
 season, and, indeed, until pairing time returns, 
 the whole family continue to hunt together in 
 familiar intercourse. One cannot help won- 
 dering, too, what the whole of the family did 
 with their long tails while they all remained 
 shut up at home. Nor is the wonder dimi- 
 nished by an examination of the inside of 
 the nest, for the cavity is all but filled with 
 the softest and warmest of feathers. The 
 
102 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 eggs are, 'next ib 1 those of the golden-crested 
 wren, the smallest found in Britain, white, 
 and sparingly speckled with light red, chiefly 
 near the larger end: and not unfrequently 
 they are of a spotless white. 
 
 WILLOW WREN. Sylvia Trochilm. 
 PLATE III. FIG. 4. 
 
 ON its first arrival, this pretty little warbler 
 is most frequently observed flying about the 
 tops of lofty trees, repeating again and again 
 its short but agreeable melody. As the season 
 advances, however, it chooses a humbler sta- 
 tion, and may be observed creeping about 
 bushes, banks, and hedges ; and no doubt, 
 in the course of its peregrinations, ridding us 
 of an infinity of mischievous insects. For its 
 nest, it selects a position lowlier still ; a hole 
 in a bank, under the friendly shelter of a tuft 
 of grass or furze, suits it well ; or, especially 
 on the skirts of a wood, it does not dis- 
 dain a hole or rut on the very ground. Here 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 103 
 
 it constructs a nearly globular nest, composed 
 of leaves, bents and moss loosely put together, 
 and thickly lined with feathers. It is entered 
 through a small hole in one side. In the 
 eastern counties, the country people call it 
 a " ground-oven/' The bird lays six or seven 
 white eggs speckled with light red. It has been 
 observed that the Willow Wren is strongly 
 attached to its nest, and will not forsake it, 
 though it has been frequently disturbed. 
 
 CHIEFCHAFF. Sylvia Hippolais. 
 PLATE IV. FIG. 1. 
 
 THIS bird, which is with difficulty distin- 
 guished from the willow wren, except by the 
 monotonous note from which it derives its 
 name, constructs also a very similar nest, 
 usually, however, choosing to place it in a 
 bush a short distance from the ground. The 
 egg may be distinguished by its fewer spots, 
 which are of a dark purple colour, approach- 
 ing black. 
 
104 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 WOOD WREN. Sylvia sibilatrix. 
 
 PLATE IY. FIG. 3, 
 
 THE Wood Wren builds its nest upon the 
 ground, generally in woods, under a tuft of 
 grass ; it is like that of the willow wren, but 
 is lined with hair instead of feathers. The 
 eggs, seven in number, are white, thickly 
 speckled with dark purple, red, and ash-colour, 
 almost hiding the ground. 
 
 COMMON WREN. Troylodites vulgaris. 
 
 PLATE III. FIG. 3. 
 
 A DESCRIPTION of the nest of the Wren may 
 be found at page 79. The number of eggs 
 varies from six to eight, or sometimes, it is 
 said, even more. They are pure white, and 
 scantily speckled with dark red, the spots 
 being, for the most part, confined to the larger 
 end. Occasionally they are spotless. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 105 
 
 LESSER WHTTETHROAT. Curruca Sylviella. 
 PLATE IY. FIG. 2. 
 
 THE nest of this bird is chiefly remarkable 
 from the looseness with which its materials 
 are put together (see page 111). The eggs, 
 four or five in number, are nearly white, long 
 in proportion to their breadth, and copiously 
 speckled, especially towards their larger end, 
 with olive grey and dark brown. 
 
 GREENFINCH. Coccothraustes Chloris. 
 PLATE IY. FIG. 4. 
 
 THE Greenfinch, or Green Linnet, as it is 
 sometimes called, is most commonly observed 
 in winter congregating with sparrows and 
 yellow buntings. In the breeding season, 
 however, it alters its habits, and becomes 
 quite solitary. It builds its nest in hedgerows 
 rarely less than ten or twelve feet from the 
 ground. It frequently resorts to gardens and 
 
106 BIKDS 3 NESTS. 
 
 shrubberies, and places its nest high up in a 
 laurel, yew, cypress, or apple tree. While 
 incubation is going on, the male bird is in the 
 habit of perching in some neighbouring high 
 tree, where, for an hour or two together, he 
 repeats, at regular intervals, a monotonous 
 long-drawn chirrup, scarcely more musical than 
 the croak of a frog ; at other times, while 
 moving from branch to branch, he utters a 
 short inquiring note, resembling in tone some 
 of the softer notes of the Canary bird. The 
 nest is composed of moss and wool inter- 
 woven, laid on a foundation of small sticks, 
 and lined with fine roots, horse-hair, and 
 feathers. The eggs, five in number, are 
 bluish white, spotted at the larger end with 
 purplish grey and dark brown. 
 

 ' * 4 
 
BIRDS 3 NESTS. 107 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A FEW days after this conversation, Mr. 
 Miller proposed a walk to a village about two 
 miles off, and, as he expected, found in his son 
 a willing companion. Their road lay partly 
 through some narrow lanes, then across a 
 common, and finally through some fields ; and 
 as birds had been lately so frequently the 
 subject of conversation, they were watched with 
 more than usual interest. They saw, however, 
 nothing but what every one may se6 during a 
 similar walk, here and there a thrush perched 
 near the top of a tall tree, pouring forth his 
 rich and varied song, and keeping his post till 
 the strangers stopped beneath him, when he 
 noiselessly darted off to another tree in an ad- 
 
108 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 joining hedge to finish his melody; so different 
 from the blackbird, which always takes flight 
 with a harsh cry, sounding more like impu- 
 dence than fear ; larks everywhere, high in 
 air, and never seeming to be high enough, 
 waving their wings without ceasing, and all 
 the while chanting their happy ti-ra-li-ra. 
 Wonderful indeed is their strength of lungs ! 
 If a man runs for ten minutes, he pants so 
 violently that he can scarcely speak ; but a lark 
 seems to put his whole strength into his wings, 
 and carols away all the while as composedly 
 as if breathing and singing were equally easy 
 perhaps we should say, as if singing gave him 
 strength instead of exhausting it. A pair of 
 bullfinches were observed to fly along the lane, 
 one a few yards behind the other, easily dis- 
 tinguished by their dipping flight, and by a 
 spot of pure white just above the tail. Then 
 they stopped to watch a chaffinch which was 
 hopping from twig to twig, looking anxiously 
 round, and uttering a pathetic note, very dif- 
 
BIRDS' NESTS, 109 
 
 ferent both from the ordinary call-note, and 
 from the cheerful spring song. 
 
 " That bird/' said Mr. Miller, " has its nest 
 very near us. The chaffinch only uses that 
 note when some stranger comes near its nest. 
 I have many times found one by looking care- 
 fully in the trees about which it flies, while 
 making that anxious noise. Their nest is 
 very beautiful, built usually among crossing 
 branches, or in the fork of a bough, but so 
 securely fixed that it can rarely be removed 
 entire without cutting off one or more 
 branches. It is of moss lined with hair and 
 feathers, and decked with moss and bits of 
 white lichen, in such a way as to be quite 
 smooth even on the outside. The rim, too, 
 is different from that of most other birds' 
 nests, neither left rough nor made flat, but as 
 beautifully rounded 'as if it were turned in a 
 lathe. When the chaffinches which have built 
 in our laurel at home have reared their young, 
 we will cut off the branch in which is their 
 
110 BIRDS 3 NESTS. 
 
 nest, and you may have it for your museum. 
 But see, there is a pair of lesser whitethroats ; 
 they are certainly here on business. Watch 
 where they fly, and we shall have a chance of 
 seeing a very different kind of nest/' 
 
 Both father and son stopped and watched 
 very carefully for several minutes. The birds, 
 however, did not seem disposed to give them 
 the desired information. They flew first to 
 some tall elms a short way off, then returned to 
 the hedge, bustled in on one side and out again 
 at the other, then crossed the road, and flew 
 up and down the lane, but without once show- 
 ing that they preferred one spot to another. 
 
 " Well, then/' said Mr. Miller, " since you 
 will not show me the way to your house, 
 I must find it by myself. Do you search care- 
 fully down this side of the lane, and I will 
 take the other. You need not look on the 
 ground, nor in the high trees, but only in the 
 thorns and brambles, a few feet above the 
 ground/' 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. Ill 
 
 Henry had not walked many yards, when 
 he cried out in great delight " Here it is ; 
 I have found it ! -no, it is only a bit of hay 
 yes, I have ! but it is not half finished." 
 
 " Don't be too certain of that; let me 
 see." 
 
 " Oh, I am sure that it is not finished, for 
 I can see through it/' 
 
 " What is this then ? " said Mr. Miller, as 
 he carefully withdrew his hand from the nest, 
 holding a small white egg, beautifully spotted 
 with greenish-brown. " Do birds lay their eggs 
 before they have finished their nests ? How- 
 ever, I am not surprised at your thinking it 
 unfinished, for, as you see, the nest is built of 
 fine stalks, crossing each other at such dis- 
 tances as to have the appearance of coarse net- 
 work. But the skill of this bird seems to me 
 to be quite as wonderful as that of the chaf- 
 finch first, that it should be able to make the 
 inside round with such materials as these ; and 
 secondly, that it should be able to put them 
 
112 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 together so compactly as to be equal to bearing 
 the weight of four or five young birds, and 
 that the structure should all the while be so 
 flimsy in appearance that one can see through 
 it. I have only once before seen one of these 
 nests, and that was when first I came to live 
 in this county. I several times saw a bird 
 which I supposed to be a greater whitethroat 
 fly from the same bush, and after searching 
 more than once, I found what I supposed to 
 be an unfinished nest. At length, being sur- 
 prised at the time which the birds took to 
 build their nest, I put my fingers in, and 
 my great astonishment found three eggs." 
 
 "And how did you know that it was 
 lesser whitethroat's nest ? " 
 
 " Why, oddly enough, Mr. Dean called on 
 me the same day, and asked me to tell him 
 the name of a little bird which he had just 
 shot. I had never seen it before, but on con- 
 sulting Yarrell's British Birds, I found it was 
 a lesser whitethroat, and on inquiring of Mr. 
 
 tu 
 
 : 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 113 
 
 Dean where he had killed it, he mentioned 
 the very bush where I had found the curious 
 nest. I turned to Yarrell again, and saw that 
 his description of that bird's nest agreed ex- 
 actly with the one which I had found." 
 
 " And the other bird deserted, of course ? " 
 
 " No, indeed ! Mrs. Whitethroat was not 
 very faithful to the memory of her dead and 
 stuffed husband. A few days afterwards I hap- 
 pened to be passing by, and saw the old bird 
 sitting on her nest. She flew away, as I dis- 
 turbed her, and I found five eggs in the nest 
 instead of three, and I presently saw a pair of 
 the same birds fluttering about as we saw them 
 just now. I concluded, therefore, that the lady, 
 affronted that her husband had deserted her, 
 had chosen another mate to sing to her while 
 she was staying at home, and to help her in 
 rearing her brood." 
 
 " But, perhaps, the bird that Mr. Dean shot 
 was not her husband at all." 
 
 " Why, of course, I cannot say for certain 
 i 
 
114 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 that he was, but as pairing time was long past, 
 it was not at all likely that another Mr. White- 
 throat was visiting his friend. Birds are very 
 jealous of any stranger of their own kind 
 coming near their nest, and I particularly 
 asked Mr. Dean afterwards, if the bird w r as 
 fighting when he killed it. He was quite sure 
 that the one he shot was one of a pair, as he 
 watched them for some time bustling about 
 together in a very friendly way. The attach- 
 ment of birds for their nests must be very 
 strong indeed, if neither the report of the gun 
 nor the absence of the husband drive the 
 female from her eggs/' 
 
 "Did she know that her husband 
 killed?" asked Henry. 
 
 " I should think not. We must not suppose 
 that birds have reason enough to know what 
 the effect of a gun is. She was terrified at 
 the noise, no doubt, but I cannot believe that 
 she thought the report had anything to do 
 with her husband's loss." 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 115 
 
 " But do not rooks always fly away when 
 they see a man with a gun ? " 
 
 " Yes, arid so they do from a man who holds 
 up a stick ; and they will fly away from a man 
 on foot, but take no notice of a man in a cart. 
 The reason of this, I suppose, is, not that they 
 can smell gunpowder, as some people say, but 
 that almost the first time they quitted their 
 nests, and before they could fly away, several 
 men came with guns beneath the trees on 
 which they were perched, and fired at them. 
 I do not suppose that they understood the 
 meaning of their companions' deaths, but, 
 doubtless, they were all terrified to such a 
 degree that they never see a man carrying a 
 gun or stick without fearing that the same 
 thing will happen again. The reason why they 
 take no notice of persons riding or driving 
 is, I suppose, because they have found out by 
 experience that no one on horseback or in a 
 carriage takes notice of them. It is just the 
 same with many other animals, which, though 
 
 T 9: 
 
116 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 very shy when any one on foot comes near, 
 allow a cart or a man on horseback to come 
 quite close to them. I was driving in a gig 
 one day last autumn, and came so close to a 
 squirrel hunting for nuts in a hedge, that 
 I could have touched him with my whip ; but 
 had I been a gamekeeper with a gun, he would 
 have been by no means so quiet/ 5 
 
 " Why do gamekeepers kill squirrels ? " 
 asked Henry. 
 
 " Because they do much mischief by eating 
 the bark of larches and nibbling off the shoots 
 of spruce-firs. You may often see the ground 
 strewed with small branches which they have 
 gnawed off. They are said, too, to destroy the 
 eggs and young of pheasants. I don't know 
 whether this is a true charge, but it probably 
 is, as I believe there is no doubt that they eat 
 animal as well as vegetable substances." 
 
 " Where do squirrels make their nests ? " 
 
 (r ~ In high trees^ and they are so like birds' 
 nests that there is no knowing one from the 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 117 
 
 other without climbing up to them. In my 
 younger days, I once climbed a tall tree after 
 what I thought was a hawk's or crow's nest. 
 Just as I was on the point of putting my 
 hand in, out bounced, not an old bird, but an 
 old squirrel, who, whatever his age w T as, was 
 nimble enough, and startled me so much that 
 I nearly let go rny hold." 
 
 " And what was there in the nest ? " 
 
 " Nothing ; the pretty little fellow was 
 finishing off the inside of his nest, in doing 
 which he had been so busily occupied that he 
 did not hear me until I was close upon him. 
 It was well for me that he heard me then, for 
 if I had put my hand into the nest while he 
 was there, he would, I dare say, have bitten 
 me very severely." 
 
 " Should you have caught him if you could, 
 or have taken the young ones if there were 
 any in it ? " 
 
 " Certainly not ! I have no fault to find 
 with keepers for killing the animals which 
 injure their masters' woods and destroy their 
 
118 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 game ; but that is no reason why I should do 
 their work." 
 
 "But don't you think a squirrel a very pretty 
 animal, in a cage ? I saw one once in a wire 
 whirl-a-gig, which he made spin round very fast; 
 and there was a little room with a door leading 
 into it, in which he slept ; he seemed very merry 
 and comfortable." 
 
 cf I can't deny/' said Mr. Miller, " that a 
 squirrel is very pretty everywhere ; but I 
 cannot believe that there is much merriment 
 in spinning round a wire cage, or that he 
 finds any pleasure in his dark box, or ' room/ 
 as you call it, except the comfort of finding a 
 place where he can be still, if he likes. Did you 
 ever hear of a treadmill ? " 
 
 " No, never," said Henry. 
 
 " A treadmill is a very large wheel, in shape 
 something like a squirrel's cage, with the 
 exception, that where the wires are, there are 
 wooden steps. This wheel is connected with 
 a mill for grinding corn, and is turned by a 
 row of men, who hold fast by a wooden rail, 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 119 
 
 and stand on the steps outside. The wheel is 
 set in motion by their weight, and as one step 
 sinks under their fipet, they are obliged to take 
 another, or they will have their shins bruised. 
 The labour is so severe that only strong men 
 can stand it ; and it is imposed as a punish- 
 ment on thieves, and other criminals, who have 
 been sent to prison. Now, a squirrel's cage is 
 a treadmill, except that the poor animal works 
 alone, instead of in company; and, for my part, 
 I see no reason why he should be shut up in 
 a prison and treated as a rogue all his days 
 for the amusement of cruel people, who, I dare 
 say, deserve such treatment much more than 
 he does." 
 
 While this conversation was going on, the 
 father and son had reached a part of the road 
 where a labourer was cutting down a hedge. 
 They stopped to speak to him, and the man, 
 observing that Henry carried an egg in his hand, 
 the one which they had taken just before from 
 the lesser whitethroat's nest, said 
 
120 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 " I found a nest in a thorn-bush which I 
 cut down this morning, and have laid it on 
 the ground a few yards back ; you are very 
 welcome to it, if you would like to have it. 
 There are four or five eggs in it, but I don't 
 know of what sort they are." 
 
 " I hope," said Mr. Miller, " that you do 
 not wantonly destroy the nests that come in 
 your way." 
 
 <c No, Sir; birds' eggs are of no use to me, 
 and there is plenty of room in the world for me 
 and them; but when my orders are to cut down 
 a hedge, I cannot leave every bush standing that 
 happens to have a nest in it." 
 
 With these words, he fetched the nest, and 
 placed it in Henry's hands. It was a large nest, 
 made of dry goose-grass and moss, with a lining 
 of hair, and contained five eggs, of a delicate 
 cream-colour, mottled with buff. 
 
 "Oh," said Mr. Miller, "this is the nest of 
 a butcher-bird, or red-backed shrike." 
 
 " A butcher-bird ! '' exclaimed Henry ; 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 121 
 
 fe what an odd name for a bird ! I suppose it 
 kills other birds/' 
 
 " Indeed it does not bear a very good name. 
 Naturalists say that it frequently catches a bird 
 smaller than itself, and after killing it by re- 
 peated blows of its bill on the head, fixes it on 
 a thorn, or jams it into the fork of a tree, and 
 devours it bit by bit. He may often be seen 
 perched on the endof a twig, watching anxiously 
 for his prey, which is usually a cockchafer, or 
 some other kind of beetle. Suddenly he darts 
 off, hovers in the air like a hawk, and having 
 seized some unhappy insect, bears it away to 
 the nearest hawthorn bush, fixes it on a thorn, 
 and devours all but the hard wing-cases. The 
 little birds seem to be aware of his murderous 
 habits, for they sometimes hunt him, and scold 
 at him, as they do a hawk, or an owl when he 
 ventures out by day." 
 
 Another nest was obtained soon afterw r ards, 
 that of a missel-thrush. It had been built in 
 the fork of a crab-tree, not very far from the 
 
122 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 ground ; and it seemed as if some mischievous 
 boy had discovered it, and not being able to 
 reach it, had upset it with a stick. The re- 
 mains of several eggs lay on the ground, but 
 one was still left in the nest. It was of a 
 dull green colour, spotted all over with red. 
 The nest was built of hay and stems of goose- 
 grass ; then came a layer of moss and mud 
 matted together, and the lining was of soft 
 dry grass. 
 
 The eggs found that morning now amounted 
 to seven, and Mr. Miller, afraid that they might 
 get broken in the carriage, seated himself on 
 the trunk of an oak which had been recently 
 felled and stripped of its bark, and blew them. 
 This done, the eggs were placed in the larger 
 of the nests, and covered by the other, and were 
 then hidden among some thick herbage, to be 
 taken away as they returned. 
 

 : I. . 2 . S 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 123 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 EGGS SPOTTED, ON A LIGHT GROUND. 
 
 SPARROW HAWK. Accipiter Nisus. 
 
 PLATE V. FIG. 2. 
 
 THE Sparrow Hawk, like many other birds 
 of the same tribe, is more of a robber than a 
 builder, establishing itself in the deserted nest 
 of some other bird, especially the crow. It lays 
 four or five eggs an inch and a half long, of a 
 pale bluish white, blotched and speckled with 
 dark red brown. The young when hatched are 
 very voracious. Mr. Selby mentions having 
 found a nest of five young sparrow hawks, 
 which contained a lapwing, two blackbirds, a 
 thrush, and two greenfinches, recently killed 
 and partly stripped of their feathers. If taken 
 young, and abundantly supplied with proper 
 food, they may be reared without difficulty and 
 trained for hawking. 
 
124 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 KESTRIL. Falco Tinnunculus: 
 
 PLATE V. FIG. 1. 
 
 IN mountainous districts, the Kestril usually 
 places its nest on cliffs or on craggy banks, 
 scraping a slight cavity for its eggs. On the 
 coast, it resorts to rocks ; or in the interior, to 
 ruined castles or other buildings, and some- 
 times to towers or steeples. In flat, woody 
 districts, it often takes possession of the deserted 
 nest of a crow or magpie ; but appears to 
 prefer rocks whenever they are to be met with. 
 The eggs, which vary from three to five, and 
 are nearly as broad as they are long, are of a 
 pale reddish white colour, confusedly dotted or 
 blotched all over with dull brownish red, and 
 often so closely that the ground colour of the 
 egg is entirely concealed. Young Kestrils taken 
 from the nest may easily be reared, and, if duly 
 fed, will habitually return to the place where 
 they have been brought up, for a long time after 
 they have acquired the power of escaping.* 
 
 * See the Author's "Pet Animals." (S. P. O.K.) 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 125 
 
 JACKDAW. Corvus Monedula. 
 
 PLATE VIII. FIG. 3. 
 
 THE Jackdaw, like most large birds, the 
 nests of which from their size are conspicuous 
 objects, usually fixes his abode in elevated 
 places, frequenting and building in church- 
 towers, belfries, steeples, quarries, and the face 
 of perpendicular cliffs, and not unfrequently 
 selecting a hollow tree. The nest, which is 
 often of very large size, is constructed of dry 
 sticks, and is lined with wool or other soft 
 substances. In the Botanic Garden at Cain- 
 bridge, a city which, from its numerous spires, 
 affords these birds abundance of convenient 
 lodging, they have been found a perfect nuis- 
 ance, by purloining the wooden labels used for 
 marking plants no less than eighteen dozen 
 have been taken from one nest. In the fron- 
 tispiece of Mr. Jesse's " Scenes and Tales of 
 Country Life," is a representation of a nest 
 built in the bell-tower of Eton chapel in seven- 
 teen days May, 1842. It measured ten feet 
 
126 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 in height, and formed a solid stack-work of 
 sticks. The eggs of this bird are bluish white, 
 spotted with ash colour and dark brown. The 
 young birds are easily tamed, and soon become 
 amusing but mischievous pets. 
 
 MOOR-HEN. Gattinula Moropus. 
 PLATE VI. FIG. 2. 
 
 AMONG the notes of the feathered tribe there 
 are many which have no claim to be considered 
 melodious, and among these is the cry of the 
 Moor-hen ; but though not musical, it falls 
 pleasantly on the ear, as one is walking, in 
 summer, on the bank of some winding river ; 
 and the eye cannot fail to follow with interest 
 the dingy bird itself, with its yellow stockings 
 and scarlet beak, as it shuffles, half-flying, 
 half-swimming, from a tuft of weeds or wil- 
 lows to a distant place of security, seeking 
 safety either by paddling between the reeds 
 which line the opposite bank, or when it has 
 reached deep water suddenly bobbing down to 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 127 
 
 reappear for a few seconds, no one knows how 
 many yards up or down the stream. In the 
 watery thicket which has just been deserted 
 with such precipitation may be found, if only 
 one has courage to risk a wetting, a compact 
 nest of reeds, sedge, and other coarse water- 
 plants, containing seven or eight reddish- white 
 eggs, blotched and speckled with chocolate 
 colour. The nest is often placed so near to 
 the water as to be carried away by the summer 
 floods ; but an instance is recorded in which 
 the parent birds, warned by instinct or expe- 
 rience of the impending danger, added to the 
 structure of the nest until their eggs were out 
 of reach of the rising water. 
 
 Crew pratensis. 
 PLATE VI. TIG. 1. 
 
 THE Landrail or Corncrake, far more often 
 heard than seen, makes a very slight nest of 
 dry grass, generally in hay-fields. Its eggs 
 are from seven to ten; they are of a pale 
 
128 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 reddish white, spotted and sprinkled with ash 
 grey and brownish red. 
 
 QUAIL. Perdix Coturnix. 
 
 PLATE XXII. FIG. 2. 
 
 THIS bird, like the last, builds a very slight 
 nest of dry grass in meadows and corn-fields. 
 The eggs are about ten, cream-coloured and 
 variously mottled, blotched or spotted with 
 reddish-brown. 
 
 MISSEL-THRUSH. Turdm viscivorus. 
 
 PLATE VIII. FIG. 4. 
 
 DURING the greater portion of the year the 
 Missel-thrush is noted for its shyness. Its 
 harsh note, indeed, resembling the sound 
 caused by drawing one's finger along the teeth 
 of a comb, may frequently be heard from Sep- 
 tember to February, and as one draws near 
 the grove from which the sound proceeded, 
 the bird itself may often be observed making 
 off rapidly, and in a straight line, for some 
 other shelter ; but unless the weather be very 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 129 
 
 severe, or the bird be so deeply engaged in an 
 angry squabble with some winged intruders 
 on his repast for to tell the truth, he is 
 neither good-tempered nor sociable he allows 
 no one to approach him. As the breeding 
 season, however, draws near, he alters his 
 very nature. No longer confining himself to 
 the woods and wilds, he draws near our dwell- 
 ings, pitches his tent in an orchard or shrub- 
 bery, and there, very early in the season, 
 builds in the fork of an apple or some other 
 such tree, a substantial nest of hay, stems, 
 lichens, and mud, lined with dry grass. He 
 seems indeed now to court observation as much 
 as he formerly shunned it ; for no nest perhaps 
 is more open to detection. The eggs, usually 
 five, are of a light brown, reddish or greenish 
 hue, blotched or speckled with light red. 
 
 BUTCHER BIRD. Lanius Cotturio. 
 
 PLATE VII. FIG. 3. 
 
 IN some districts, nests of this bird are 
 tolerably common, but in other parts, especi- 
 
 K 
 
130 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 ally in the north of England, they are of rare 
 occurrence. The nest is usually placed in a 
 thick hedge or bush, and is composed of bents 
 and slender stems, and lined with grass and a 
 little hair. The eggs are remarkable for the 
 variety and delicacy of their tinting. Three 
 nests, found all in the same season, contained 
 each five eggs. Those of one set were cream- 
 coloured, irregularly blotched with grey and 
 light brown ; those of another were of a pinkish 
 hue, speckled with light red and purplish- 
 brown; and those of the third were bluish - 
 white, having near the larger end a ring of 
 ash-coloured spots. It is hard to say which 
 of the three is the most beautiful. 
 
 GOLDFINCH. Carduelis elegans. 
 PLATE VIII. FIG. 2. 
 
 THE neat habitation of the Goldfinch is 
 worthy of its brilliant and sprightly owner. 
 It is small, and composed of moss and roots 
 felted together with wool ; externally decorated 
 
- 
 
 IT - 2 KM 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 131 
 
 with lichens, and lined on the inside with 
 thistledown, the cotton of the willow, and the 
 softest of feathers. It is usually placed among 
 the twigs of an apple-tree, pear-tree, or ever- 
 green, and contains five eggs of a bluish-white 
 tint, speckled with pale purple and brown. 
 
 LINNET. Linaria cannabina. 
 PLATE VII. FIG. 1. 
 
 WEARING a more sober livery than the gold- 
 finch, the Linnet also makes less display of 
 architectural neatness ; and instead of choosing 
 a place of resort where it is likely to be ex- 
 posed to the common gaze, it retires in the 
 breeding season to some thicket or furze-brake, 
 where, especially in the latter situation, it con- 
 structs a nest of small twigs, moss, roots, and 
 wool, lined with hair, feathers, and sometimes 
 thistle or willow-down. The eggs are four or 
 five, and closely resemble those of the gold- 
 finch, both in size and colouring. 
 
 K2 
 
132 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 ROBIN. Erythaca Eubecula. 
 
 PLATE VIII. FIG. 1. 
 
 MOST books on British birds contain ac- 
 counts of singular places chosen by this 
 familiar little bird wherein to build its nest. 
 The following instance may be added to the 
 list : In the author's garden is a thatched 
 shed, daily resorted to by many persons for 
 the purpose of sifting earth, mixing soil, pot- 
 ting plants, &c. Immediately over the place 
 where these operations were carried on, there 
 stood, in the spring of 1853, an empty beehive. 
 A pair of robins discovered and approved this 
 site for their habitation, and so little were they 
 disturbed by the intrusion of visitors, that they 
 actually reared their brood before the nest was 
 found. Most frequently, the nest is placed in a 
 long hole of a bank or hedge, sheltered by moss 
 or weeds, and not unfrequently in an ivy-covered 
 wall, such as that described in Mrs. Trimmer's 
 inimitable tale. The eggs, about five in num- 
 ber, are dull white, spotted with light red. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 133 
 
 SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. Muscicapa grisola. 
 
 PLATE VII. FIG. 2. 
 
 IN the spring of 1853 a pair of these birds 
 built their nest in the fork of an apricot-tree, 
 which was trained against a barn in my 
 garden. Five eggs were laid, and in due 
 season hatched. The parent birds were often 
 observed supplying the young ones with food ; 
 and at last, when they disappeared I supposed 
 that their labours were ended. One day, 
 however, as I was at work in another part of 
 the garden, a pair of flycatchers flew about 
 uneasily near the place where I was standing, 
 now perching on the branches of a pear-tree, 
 then on the top of a wall, and evincing that 
 anxiety by which birds frequently betray the 
 vicinity of their nest. I searched every tree 
 and niche where I thought it possible that a 
 flycatcher could build its nest, but all in vain. 
 The next day, and the next, the same incident 
 occurred, and so thoroughly was I convinced 
 that there must be a nest somewhere near me, 
 
134 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 that I twice repeated my search. On the fourth 
 day, happening to look at some plants growing 
 on a hotbed hard by, I discovered a young 
 flycatcher, which was evidently the cause of all 
 the anxiety that I had witnessed. It was quite 
 fledged ; but owing either to some accident or 
 natural malformation, was unable to fly. It had 
 only one eye, and the beak was twisted on one 
 side, with the upper and lower mandible cross- 
 ing each other. My first impulse was to kill 
 it, as I thought it impossible that it would ever 
 be able to feed itself. The continued anxiety 
 of the parent birds, however, who still hovered 
 about me, deterred me from taking this step, 
 at least in their presence, so I left it to its fate. 
 About this time a young kestril, which was 
 being brought up in the house, was allowed to 
 go at large in a meadow adjoining the garden. 
 The day after my discovery of the poor young 
 flycatcher, I observed the kestril scrambling 
 across the meadow, and making for a cherry- 
 tree some twenty yards off. As it approached 
 
;** f 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 135 
 
 the tree, a pair of flycatchers, whom I had not 
 noticed before, suddenly darted one after the 
 other from the branches of the tree, pecking 
 at the head of the hawk as they flew by. 
 The young bird of prey not being himself 
 quite fledged, was not able to resent this 
 insult, but every time that they approached 
 him dipped his head in fear ; until, at last, 
 tired of a game, all the sport of which was on 
 the other side, and getting a peck hard and 
 sharp enough to have been dealt in good 
 earnest, he hobbled away discomfited to the 
 garden. I have no doubt that what gave 
 these birds courage to attack an enemy so 
 terrible as a hawk, was a feeling of affection 
 for their helpless offspring, which, since my 
 discovery of its retreat, had been conducted 
 by them to another place of concealment. 
 
 The nest of this flycatcher is usually built in 
 fruit-trees trained against walls, or projections 
 from buildings, or on the stout branch of a 
 tree ; and it seems to prefer gardens to the 
 
136 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 open country, because probably flies are there 
 more abundant. The nest is made of moss, 
 bents, and roots, lined with dry grass, hair, 
 and feathers. The eggs are very similar to 
 those of the robin ; but the ground has more 
 of a bluish or greenish tinge, and the spots 
 are larger and of a more decided red. 
 
 REED WARBLER. Salicaria arundinacea. 
 
 PLATE IX. FIG. 2. 
 
 I HAVE never seen the nest of this bird : but 
 to judge from the description and figure of 
 one given by Yarrell, it must be a very in- 
 teresting object. " It was supported between 
 four reed-stems, and was taken from a bed of 
 reeds on the side of the Thames, the surface 
 soil of which was covered by water every tide, 
 or twice in every twenty-four hours. The nest 
 is formed of the seed branches of the reeds, and 
 very long grass wound horizontally round and 
 round, including the four upright reeds in the 
 substance thus forming with a little wool the 
 
.BIRDS' NESTS. 137 
 
 sides of the nest which frequently measures 
 five inches in depth on the outside, three inches 
 in breadth across the top, and three inches 
 deep inside ; the lining is formed of a very fine 
 grass and long hairs. The nest is made so 
 deep that the eggs do not roll out when the 
 supporting reeds are waved by the wind, and 
 the bird has been seen sitting on her nest 
 when every gust forced it almost to the surface 
 of the water." The eggs, three quarters of an 
 inch long, are of a greenish white colour, 
 spotted and speckled with ash green and light 
 brown. 
 
 CUCKOO. Cuculus canorus. 
 
 PLATE IX. FIG. 3. 
 
 ENOUGH has been written on the natural 
 history of the Cuckoo, more especially with 
 reference to the laying of its eggs and the 
 rearing of its young, (even if I were to omit the 
 fabulous,) to fill this little book three or four 
 times over. I would recommend the young 
 collector to read a very interesting chapter 
 
138 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 on this subject, in the third volume of " Macgil- 
 livray's British Birds/' The Cuckoo is thought 
 to lay not less than twelve eggs in the course 
 of a single season. It builds no nest of its 
 own, but selects that of the meadow-pipit or 
 wagtail, and less frequently that of the hedge- 
 sparrow, skylark, nightingale, or garden- 
 warbler. An African species of cuckoo has 
 been shot in the act of carrying one of its own 
 eggs in its bill, and it has been conjectured 
 that its English namesake employs the same 
 instrument in depositing its eggs, at least in 
 some cases, inasmuch as the egg of this bird 
 has been found in a wagtail's nest, the entrance 
 to which was so narrow that it could scarcely 
 have been introduced in any other way. How- 
 ever this may be, there is no doubt that, 
 within a few days after the young cuckoo is 
 hatched, he unceremoniously hoists his foster- 
 brothers and sisters on his back and tumbles 
 them out of the nest. He seems, too, to exercise 
 a sort of fascination over his foster-parents, 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 139 
 
 who, attentive as they are under ordinary cir- 
 cumstances to the wants of their own brood, 
 take no further notice of those who have been 
 turned out of doors by the selfish intruder, 
 but suffer them to perish of want. Indeed 
 the appetite of the young cuckoo is so voracious, 
 that it would be next to impossible for any 
 single pair of birds to supply any more than 
 his need and their own. This extraordinary 
 voracity appears to be owing, in some mea- 
 sure, to the disproportionate size of the egg 
 and adult bird, which makes it necessary that 
 the nestling should grow very fast in order to 
 obtain maturity in time to migrate in Sep- 
 tember, the period at which the young bird 
 disappears. 
 
 How wonderful must be the instinct im- 
 planted in a bird which, reared by foster- 
 parents (themselves spending their whole lives 
 in the same country), and never having been 
 taught by example or the society of its fellows, 
 wings its way across the sea, an element of 
 
140 
 
 BIRDS NESTS. 
 
 which it has had no experience, to foreign 
 lands, to which it has no guide, there to join 
 the company of adult birds who have preceded 
 it many weeks ! Here, at least, the infidel 
 must acknowledge the teaching of HIM who 
 is invisible. 
 
 The egg of the cuckoo is of a pale reddish 
 grey, speckled with brown, and exactly the 
 same size as that of the skylark, though the 
 comparative size of the two birds is as four to 
 one. 
 
 NEST OF BULLFINCH. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 141 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 IT was now past one o'clock, and as they 
 had yet nearly a mile to walk before they 
 reached the village, Henry was told to walk 
 on steadily, and to think no more of birds' 
 nests for the present ; but this was not a very 
 easy order to obey. None but those who 
 have studied some branch of Natural History 
 are aware how difficult it is to a naturalist 
 to w r alk in the country without noticing the 
 various objects which present themselves. Mr. 
 Miller, however, knew it well; he was ac- 
 quainted with the names and properties of 
 most of the British plants, and with many of 
 the insects that fed on them ; he had made a 
 collection of the land and fresh-water shells 
 which were to be found in his neighbourhood ; 
 and long practice had enabled him to distin- 
 guish, both by their flight and note, all the 
 
142 BIRDS 3 NESTS. 
 
 common birds. In spite, therefore, of his 
 intention to make haste, he found himself 
 frequently stopping to notice something beau- 
 tiful or unusual. Now, a tuft of peculiarly 
 graceful ferns attracted his attention : now, a 
 damp shady nook covered with exquisitely 
 feathered mosses, of which he wished to dis- 
 cover the fruit ; and now, the effort of a wild 
 bee to extract the honey from a flower which 
 had too long a tube for its proboscis to reach 
 the bottom. He had all his life been in the 
 habit of looking out for fresh instances of the 
 " Wisdom of God in creation," and found it 
 difficult to shut his eyes against the little 
 incidents which many people would call trifles, 
 and yet more would not notice at all, but all 
 of which had, to him, a deep meaning. 
 
 Henry was following his example. He 
 already knew the names of many of the com- 
 monest flowers, butterflies, and birds, and had 
 begun to collect and preserve specimens of the 
 plants which he met with in the course of his 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 143 
 
 walks. He was, however, too young to under- 
 stand the hard words which it is necessary to 
 use in scientific books ; and his father thought 
 that if he could foster the taste for natural 
 history, even before he was able to make use 
 of books devoted to the subject, he would 
 hereafter take pleasure in following up the 
 study in good earnest. Mr. Miller had him- 
 self never collected birds' eggs, having con- 
 tented himself with examining the nests, and 
 watching the habits of the birds ; but when he 
 saw his son so anxious to possess specimens of 
 the various kinds of eggs, as he could not 
 with reason say that it was wrong to make 
 a collection of this kind, while it was not wrong 
 to collect birds and insects, he did not for- 
 bid him ; he only insisted that the study should 
 be pursued, as he believed it might be done, 
 in such a way that no cruelty should be prac- 
 tised towards the parent birds. It had been 
 objected to him by a friend that it was an 
 imposition to induce a bird to sit on pebbles, 
 
144 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 which she supposed to be eggs : but he did 
 not admit that there was any force in this 
 objection, because he never allowed more than 
 half of the eggs in a nest to be changed. 
 "You often find," he said, "in a nest, four 
 young birds, and an addle egg. As soon as 
 the young are hatched, the old bird begins to 
 feed them, without being aware of the presence 
 of the fifth egg ; nor do I believe, when two 
 out of four eggs are hatched, that the old 
 bird discovers that the other two have been 
 changed into pebbles. I cannot see that there 
 is any cruelty in a deception which she cannot 
 detect, and which saves her a half of the trou- 
 ble of supplying her brood with food. I allow 
 that it would be unfeeling if any one were to 
 take away all her eggs, and leave pebbles in 
 their place ; and, in like manner, it would be 
 unfeeling to allow a hen to sit on a solitary 
 chalk egg ; but I cannot conceive that the 
 most scrupulous person would blame a farmer 
 for inducing his poultry to lay in certain places, 
 
BIRDS' WESTS. 145 
 
 by supplying them with imitation eggs, in 
 order that he might obtain a good stock for 
 market ; nor do I see that there is anything 
 blameable in making a collection of birds' eggs 
 for a museum of natural curiosities by similar 
 means. 
 
 " If you say, again, that such deceptions 
 are likely to be injurious to the character of 
 young persons, I answer, that a very young 
 child can be taught the difference between 
 deceiving his parents, and deceiving brute ani- 
 mals. Perfect sincerity and truthfulness is 
 his bounden duty towards all his fellow-crea- 
 tures, but it is by his superior wisdom and 
 skill in deceiving mainly, not by superior 
 strength, that he has dominion over the inferior 
 animals. What is a mouse -trap, or a fishing- 
 net, but a deception ? Does not the groom 
 deceive the horse when he holds out to it a 
 sieve full of oats, and, while it is eating, flings 
 the halter over its head ? Does not the child 
 deceive when he entices a dog into a certain 
 L 
 
146 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 room by offering it food, and then shuts it in ? 
 A child may be taught that all these things 
 are allowable towards brute animals, and still 
 may be trained up to the habit of treating his 
 companions as he would wish to be treated 
 by them." 
 
 Nothing further of consequence occurred 
 during the remainder of the walk, and when 
 they reached the village, Mr. Miller stated his 
 intention of calling first at Johnson's cottage, 
 though he thought it scarcely likely that he 
 should find the father at home at this hour. 
 
 Johnson's cottage, though prettily situated, 
 was by no means a tempting one to enter. 
 It stood by the side of the road, with some 
 beautiful trees behind it, and a sloping garden 
 in front, which might not only have been 
 made very neat, but, if properly cultivated, 
 have been made profitable : as it was, how- 
 ever, it was little better than a piece of waste 
 ground. There were to be seen some traces 
 of beds, with two or three fruit-trees loaded 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 147 
 
 with blossom,, and showing that the soil was 
 productive enough; but the ground had not 
 been turned since last year's crops were taken 
 off; a few broken sticks yet standing in a row, 
 showed where there had once been kidney- 
 beans ; and a cabbage-stump here and there, 
 trodden down into the mud, supplied the place 
 of the young plants which ought at this season 
 to have been beginning to supply the family 
 with vegetables. The wicket gate had lost 
 one of its hinges, and hung half open ; and on 
 each side of the house there was a broad gap 
 in the hedge, clearly proving that any one 
 going to or from the house saved himself the 
 trouble of opening the rickety gate by passing 
 through the gap either to the right or left, just 
 as he happened to be going up or down the 
 hill. Just in front of the door was a pit, 
 filled by the heavy rain of the previous day 
 with water, which five minutes' work with 
 a spade or hoe would have drained off. A 
 flat stone in the door-way was so loose, that, 
 L-2 
 
148 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 as Mr. Miller stepped on it, it splashed the 
 filthy water on all sides, and it was quite clear 
 that the puddle had been suffered to remain 
 so long that it had washed away the earth 
 from beneath the stone, and made its way 
 beneath the tile floor within. Indeed, in more 
 than one place a tile had sunk an inch or more, 
 so that the black slimy mud oozed through in 
 several places. The door stood wide open, 
 and just inside sat the younger Johnson, dip- 
 ping up the filth with an iron spoon, from 
 one of the little pools, and pouring it into 
 another. 
 
 The unhappy child looked very much fright- 
 ened when he spied Mr. Miller, and to the 
 question, "Is your mother at home?" made 
 scarcely any reply, but skulked to the door, 
 and made his way through one of the gaps as 
 fast as he could. 
 
 This gave Mr. Miller time to look around 
 him, and it need hardly be said, that the con- 
 trast between this unsightly dwelling and the 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 149 
 
 lovely order of nature which he had been con- 
 templating, was painful in the extreme. 
 
 The room was wretchedly furnished, and of 
 the few things that were in it, nothing seemed 
 in its place. There w r as a dresser, but most 
 of the nails for hanging cups and saucers on, 
 had been taken out, perhaps to mend the 
 rickety chairs, or to nail together the two 
 pieces of a leg of the table. One of the chairs 
 had no back, and another wanted a leg. The 
 table had all its four legs, but there was no 
 part of the room where they could possibly 
 be made to touch the floor all at once, so un- 
 even was it. On the lower shelf of the dresser 
 stood a very dirty saucepan, and on the upper 
 ones were a shoe, a pair of bellows without a 
 snout, a dirty cap trimmed with crumpled 
 flowers, and a few other such things. The 
 two drawers of the dresser were open, as if 
 some one had been looking for something, and 
 had not taken the trouble to close them. One 
 of them was nearly filled with rabbit-skins; 
 
150 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 but the contents of the other it would be very 
 hard to describe. 
 
 It appeared that the family had not long 
 dined, for on the table stood a large brown 
 pan, to the sides of which there yet stuck 
 some bits of greasy potato, which a cat had 
 been prevented by Mr. Miller's entrance from 
 finishing. There was no cloth on the table, 
 nor were there any plates or forks; two or 
 three very dirty knives and iron-spoons were 
 the whole of the dinner-service. The windows 
 matched well with the rest of the house, dirty, 
 cracked, and without curtains ; and across 
 one of them was hung a string of birds' eggs, 
 a melancholy sight anywhere, but doubly so 
 here; because the wretched condition of all 
 around, proved that the person who took them 
 could not possibly have had an eye to their 
 elegance of form or beauty of colour, and 
 so have lost sight of the cruelty of robbing 
 the nests. Mr. Miller could not help saying, 
 f( What a pity that Mrs. Johnson, instead of 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 151 
 
 encouraging her sons to rob nests, did not go 
 to birds for a lesson in neatness, patience and 
 industry, yes, and carefulness too in bringing 
 up her family ! Don't you think, Henry, that 
 a wren may be as happy in her hole of a nest, 
 as you would be here ? " 
 
 Before an answer could be given, the mis- 
 tress of the house made her appearance. 
 
 " I am afraid, Sir, that you think me a very 
 dirty woman ; " said Mrs. Johnson, as she pro- 
 ceeded to wipe with her apron one of the 
 chairs which seemed somewhat less crazy than 
 the rest. 
 
 Now, though Mr. Miller had no intention of 
 beginning the conversation by remarking on 
 the untidy condition of the house, he was far 
 too honest to say that it was not dirty, and too 
 anxious for the welfare of the people about 
 him, to suggest an excuse for culpable negli- 
 gence ; he replied therefore, 
 
 <( Why, indeed, I am sorry to be obliged to 
 say, that it is rather dirty." Mrs. Johnson, 
 
152 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 having what she Considered a very good excuse 
 in her own mind, was not a little annoyed that 
 her visitor assented so readily to the opinion 
 she had herself just expressed, and would have 
 been better pleased if he had made use of a 
 phrase which careless people are in the habit 
 of making to each other, and which she had 
 often employed herself : " I suppose it is not 
 worse than the cottages of many other poor 
 people." This defence, however, she held 
 back for the present, and replied in a very long 
 speech, the substance of which was : " That 
 gentlefolks knew little what hardships the poor 
 had to put up with, and if they did not see 
 everything as clean and neat as their own 
 drawing-rooms, set all the fault down to idle- 
 ness and carelessness. Her husband was a 
 hard-working man with only ten shillings 
 a-week, and out of that they had to pay two 
 shillings a-week for the rent of their wretched 
 house and garden, though the water came up 
 through the floor after every shower, and they 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 153 
 
 did not get five shillings'-worth of vegetables 
 out of the garden all the year round." 
 
 "Certainly," said Mr. Miller, "eight shil- 
 lings a-week does seem very little to clothe 
 and feed a family, but I should think your 
 eldest boy was able to do something to main- 
 tain himself by this time; and most of the 
 women get well paid for their work at the 
 time of sowing beans and potatoes, as well as 
 at hay and corn harvest." 
 
 " Well, Sir, I suppose I don't earn less than 
 my neighbours, for that matter ; but what is 
 that trifle, when you. have to set against it the 
 bill at the shop for tea, and candles, and soap, 
 and such like ? " 
 
 Mr. Miller thought that the sum expended in 
 soap must be very small; though he did not 
 say so ; but added, " I thought your landlord 
 did not require his rent to be paid every week, 
 but called for it only once a-year, at the end 
 of harvest, when his tenants can best spare 
 the money ? " 
 
154 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 " Yes, Sir, and so he does. Many's the 
 time I have said how hard it is, that, after 
 toiling and moiling as we do all harvest-time, 
 from daybreak till you can't see your hand, 
 all our earnings should go to pay for this dirty 
 hole." 
 
 " Well, really I cannot see that your land- 
 lord treats you hardly at all. He has laid out 
 a good deal of money on this house, I know. 
 The walls and roof are very good, the windows 
 were in good repair when you first came here, 
 and the garden-ground is as good as any in 
 the parish. It seems to me very reasonable, 
 that he should expect to have his rent, and if 
 he consents to receive it once a-year out of 
 your harvest-money, it is for your convenience 
 and not his." 
 
 " Sir, I know you gentlefolks can always 
 make it out very plainly, that poor people 
 always spend their earnings in drink and fine 
 clothes. I dare say you think my husband 
 goes to the alehouse ; but I can say what a 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 155 
 
 good many can't say, that he has not spent a 
 penny in drink since Christmas." 
 
 Mrs. Johnson intended to finish the con- 
 versation with this speech, which she imagined 
 her visitor must consider a triumphant defence. 
 The fact was, that she had run up a long bill 
 at the village shopkeepers' more than two 
 years ago, and had promised so often to pay 
 it, at one time with hay-money, and at another 
 wdth harvest-money, without keeping her word, 
 that the shopkeepers had at last refused to let 
 her have a single article more without paying 
 ready money; and had moreover threatened 
 to sue her husband in the county court, un- 
 less she paid two shillings a-week, till the 
 whole sum due was paid oft". The consequence 
 was, that Johnson had no money which he 
 could spend at the public-house, so that his 
 wife's statement that he had not spent a penny 
 there since Christmas, sounded as if it were 
 true. He had not, however, ceased to go there, 
 or to drink there. A long score stood against 
 
156 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 him, which he was every week making longer. 
 Already it nearly equalled the sum which it 
 was likely that he would receive at harvest, 
 and it was pretty certain that either the land- 
 lord of the cottage or the landlord of the 
 White Horse, would be a loser. It was not 
 possible to excuse Mrs. Johnson on the plea 
 that she did not know this ; for being as fond 
 of drink as her husband, she was in the habit 
 of going to fetch him home in the evenings, 
 but rarely returned till she had herself taken 
 enough to add considerably to the score, which 
 was running up in his name. 
 
 Mr. Miller knew nothing of this, though, 
 as he could only suspect that he was being 
 imposed on, he could say no more on the sub- 
 ject, but having added, " Well, I am pleased 
 to hear so good a report of him ; " went on to 
 say, " If I were he, I should employ a spare 
 hour or two in draining off the water from that 
 puddle before the door. You would then have 
 a dry floor to your cottage, which I should 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 157 
 
 think would then be more comfortable and 
 healthy than it can be at present." 
 
 " Well, Sir, and so he would ; but he says, 
 and I say too, that that's the landlord's busi- 
 ness, and he won't do it unless he is paid for 
 his time." 
 
 " I can't see that it is the landlord's busi- 
 ness. He made the house comfortable before 
 you came into it, and it is the business of the 
 tenant to keep it so. But even if the landlord 
 were the person who ought to do it, it seems 
 to me that it would be better to work three or 
 four hours for him without being paid, rather 
 than paddle about in the mud half the year 
 round, and run the risk of getting fever and 
 rheumatism into the house." 
 
 " Yes, Sir, and if we were to do that, he 
 would be expecting us next to buy thorns and 
 mend the gaps in the garden-hedge, that his 
 cattle made." 
 
 " If Mr. Long's cattle broke through your 
 fence, he certainly ought to make it good again; 
 
15b BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 but still your wisest plan would have been to 
 have bought a few thorns and repaired it, be- 
 fore you had let the time slip by for cropping 
 the ground again, and trusted to his making 
 an allowance out of your rent. You surely 
 cannot expect him to pay for the loss of any 
 more than the cattle actually destroyed, so 
 that the loss of the coining crop must fall upon 
 you. Have you told Mr. Long what mischief 
 his cattle have done? 55 
 
 " I have not told him myself; but I have sent 
 over my eldest boy two or three times, though 
 I am not quite sure whether he has taken the 
 message. He is very busy birds'-nesting just 
 now, and I think it very likely he has stayed 
 about and forgotten it. Miss Mild has pro- 
 mised to give him twopence a dozen for eggs 
 to ornament her new summer-house, 1 * and I 
 don't like to interfere with his little gains." 
 
 " I am very sorry that Miss Mild, or any 
 one else that ought to know better, should 
 
 * A fact. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 159 
 
 encourage him to spend his time in so idle 
 and cruel a work ; but it was about this I 
 called to speak with you to-day. When was 
 it that you last sent him to Mr. Long's ? " 
 
 " Last Tuesday." 
 
 " That w-as the very day I caught him and 
 his brother in my orchard, cutting one of my 
 apple-trees." 
 
 " Oh, I heard him say that some one had 
 made a great fuss about his trespassing and 
 coming after apples ; but for my part I can't 
 see any great harm in the poor boy's just 
 going into a wood or an orchard at this time 
 of the year. It's few amusements that poor 
 folks have at any time, and it seems to me very 
 hard that they should be grudged those few." 
 
 " Well, Mrs. Johnson, I find I shall have 
 very little chance of teaching your boy that it 
 is wrong to break down fences and commit 
 trespasses; if you make excuses for him in that 
 way. I warn you, however, as I have warned 
 him, that even if his intentions in breaking 
 
160 
 
 BIRDS NESTS. 
 
 into my orchard were as innocent as you think 
 them, he has made it easy to come again for 
 other purposes. I trust you will never have 
 cause to lament, that when you taught him to 
 say, c Lead us not into temptation/ you did 
 not also teach him not to run into temptation." 
 With these words Mr. Miller ended the con- 
 versation, and picking his way carefully through 
 the mud and filth which lay around him, 
 resumed his walk. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 161 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 UNIFORM BLUE OR. GREEN, WITHOUT SPOTS. 
 
 HERON. Ardea cinerea. 
 PLATE X. 
 
 THE Heron is a social bird, building, like 
 the rook, among the topmost branches of 
 lofty trees, and always in company with other 
 birds of the same kind. Its nest is built of 
 sticks, and lined with wool. The eggs, four 
 or five in number, are of a uniform sea-green 
 colour, about two inches and a quarter long, 
 and one inch and three quarters broad. 
 
 "STALLING. Sturnm vulgaris. 
 PLATE XL EIG. 3. 
 
 DURING the autumn and winter, Starlings 
 are rarely to, be seen alone. Sometimes, in- 
 deed,-; they ibrjn flocks so enormous, that they 
 
 M 
 
162 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 have been known to destroy plantations by 
 simply alighting on the young branches. In 
 spring, however, this society appears to be 
 dissolved by common consent, and henceforth 
 they rarely meet together, except to squabble 
 about the possession of some choice situation 
 for a nest. This is usually placed in holes of 
 buildings, under eaves, in hollow trees, or, 
 much to the annoyance of the inhabitants, in 
 shoots of houses. It is made of slender 
 twigs, straw, roots, and dry grass. The eggs 
 are four or five in number, of a uniform deli- 
 cate pale blue, and about an inch and a 
 quarter long. The young, when first fledged, 
 have little of the appearance of the old bird, 
 being of a greyish brown colour, without the 
 metallic lustre, or numerous spots, which dis- 
 tinguish the adult bird. In this stage, the 
 young bird has been called the, " solitary 
 thrush;" but that it is not a distinct ^p^cies, 
 is clear from the fact, that in a.ifew weeks it 
 begins to assume the adult plumage, -which 
 
BIRDS 3 NESTS. 163 
 
 appears, intermixed with the first feathers, in 
 irregular patches. 
 
 WHEATEAE. Saxicola (Enanthe. 
 PLATE XI. FIG. 2. 
 
 THE Wheatear is a bird of local occurrence, 
 confining itself principally to downs and com- 
 mons, especially in the vicinity of the sea. On 
 the rocky coast, it conceals its nest in the 
 bottom of a deep recess in a cliff. Inland it 
 makes its nest in old walls, or in pits from 
 which stone, gravel, sand, or chalk have been 
 dug out. A deserted rabbit-burrow is a 
 favourite locality, and it is said it may fre- 
 quently be detected in such situations by a 
 heap of small pieces of the withered stalks of 
 the brake -fern, made on the outside of the 
 burrow. The nest is often concealed with 
 much art; and at other times it is placed, 
 without much attempt at concealment, under 
 a clod in a fallow field. It is constructed 
 of dried bents, light twigs, intermixed with 
 
 M2 
 
164 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 feathers or rabbits' down, The eggs, from 
 four to six in number, are of a uniform deli- 
 cate pale blue, nearly an inch long, and some- 
 what above half an inch broad. 
 
 WHINCHAT. Saxicola Rubetra. 
 
 PLATE XL FIG. 1. 
 
 THE Whinchat, or "Furzechat, builds a nest 
 very like that of the wheat ear, and, like that 
 bird, either on the ground, or a short distance 
 beneath it, The nest is formed of moss and 
 bents, and lined with fine grass. The eggs, 
 five or six, are of a uniform bluish green, often 
 marked with minute specks of dull reddish 
 brown. The egg is three quarters of an inch 
 long, and about half an inch broad. 
 
 REDSTART. Phoenicura ruticilla. 
 
 PLATE XII. FIG. 2. 
 THIS pretty little bird selects for its dwell- 
 ing a hollow tree, or a hole in a wall, or the 
 space left between a fruit-tree and the wall 
 to which it is trained; it has been known 
 
 
.BIRDS' NESTS. 165 
 
 also to build its nest in a hole in the ground. 
 A writer in the Zoologist has furnished the 
 following notice of a singular locality for a 
 redstart's nest: "In the spring of 1841, 
 I noticed that when I w r ent to a particular part 
 of my garden, a male redstart always appeared 
 much distressed, which convinced me that its 
 nest was near at hand ; but I could not find it. 
 One day, having occasion for a common flower- 
 pot, not of a very large size, I took one which 
 had been left inverted on a narrow path between 
 two sea-kale beds. On lifting it up, I dis- 
 covered a nest with five eggs, placed on the 
 ground. I carefully replaced the pot over the 
 nest, inclining it a little towards the south, so 
 that when the sun was shining I could dis- 
 cern the eggs through the hole at the bottom 
 (now, from its inverted position, the top) of 
 the pot. On passing it soon after, I found the 
 hen bird on the nest ; and she succeeded in 
 hatching and bringing up her brood, paying 
 no regard to my looking down upon her as I 
 
166 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 passed by, if I did not stop." The eggs, 
 from four to six, are of a bright greenish blue, 
 without spot or any other kind of marking, 
 about three quarters of an inch long, closely 
 resembling those of the hedge sparrow, from 
 which, however, they may be distinguished by 
 their deeper colour and nearer approach to 
 the spherical form. 
 
 HEDGE SPARROW. Accentor modularis. 
 PLATE XII. FIG. 1. 
 
 THIS, perhaps, is the most frequently de- 
 tected of all British birds' nests, and the one 
 at which the young oologist has first tried his 
 hand. No sooner does the quickset hedge 
 begin to bud, than the Hedge Sparrow lays 
 the foundation of its nest in the centre of the 
 thorny fence ; and before the leaf has fully 
 expanded, the bright blue eggs become even a 
 more conspicuous object than the nest which 
 contains them. The hedge sparrow, being a 
 scarcely less fearless and confiding bird than 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 167 
 
 robin redbreast himself, prefers the neighbour- 
 hood of the homestead to the open country, 
 and too often, alas ! suffers for his trustfulness, 
 Every puny shepherd's boy considers its nest 
 as his lawful prey, and, however short may be 
 his stature, is able to make this at least his 
 prize ; for the hedge sparrow rarely builds 
 above four or five feet from the ground. But 
 though so many of these nests are destroyed, 
 there appears to be no decrease in the number 
 of the birds. The reason probably is, that 
 they breed several times in the season; and 
 as the leaf expands with the advancing spring, 
 though their first efforts are open to detection, 
 the succeeding ones are concealed within an 
 impenetrable veil of foliage. The nest is com- 
 posed of twigs, moss, and roots, felted together 
 with wool, and lined with hair. The eggs, 
 four or five, are of a uniform greenish blue, 
 somewhat lighter than those of the redstart, 
 and rather longer in proportion to their 
 breadth. 
 
168 
 
 BIRDS NESTS. 
 
 NIGHTINGALE. Luscinia Philomela. 
 
 PLATE XXI. FIG. 3. 
 
 THE Nightingale, though unrivalled as a 
 musician, can boast of no great architectural 
 skill. It constructs its nest, placed either 
 quite on the ground, or at the very base of a 
 bush, of dry oak leaves, so imperfectly fastened 
 together with bents and fine roots, that it is 
 almost impossible to remove it without utterly 
 destroying it. The eggs, usually five in number, 
 are of a uniform olive brown, and but little 
 larger than those of the hedge sparrow. 
 
^jljgis 
 
 2 . REDSTART . 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 169 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 No greater contrast can be conceived than 
 that which Mrs. Square's neat little cottage 
 presented to the wretched dwelling they had 
 just left. The house itself was smaller, and 
 not so prettily situated. The garden in front 
 was too small to be turned to any profitable 
 account, but had not for that reason been 
 neglected, being filled, perhaps too thickly, 
 with stocks and wallflowers, and sweet- 
 williams, the first two in full flower, the last 
 making great promise of blossom. A beautiful 
 moss-rose-tree, covered with buds,, was trained 
 round the window on one side, and a myrtle 
 was beginning to put forth its leaves on the 
 other. The door stood open, and through the 
 doorway a cloud of steam was pouring out, 
 the smell of which, if not pleasant, was at all 
 
170 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 events wholesome, and, compared to the odour 
 of Mrs. Johnson's house, absolutely fragrant. 
 
 " Good morning, Mrs. Square ; I am come 
 again on washing-day, I see." 
 
 " Yes, Sir, and I hope you are likely to come 
 again; for it is washing-day with me, I am 
 thankful to say, every day except Saturday and 
 Sunday. My business is so much increased, 
 that I can find plenty of work five days in the 
 week, though I hire a neighbour to help me." 
 
 " I am happy to hear it ; and, now that I 
 think of it, I have some good news for you : 
 the duty is to be taken off soap, so that you 
 will have it much cheaper. Honest people, 
 like you, will be the greatest gainers by the 
 change ; for I know that several persons send 
 you their washing, because you never use any 
 of the bleaching-powders which do so much 
 mischief to the clothes ; and now you will be 
 able to wash with as little expense as those 
 who do use them." 
 
 " That is good news, indeed, Sir ; and now 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 171 
 
 I hope bleaching-powders will go out of use. 
 I never used but one paper a neighbour re- 
 commended me to try, saying that it would 
 make the things much whiter ; so I tried it on 
 some of my own clothes first. Sure enough 
 it made them very white at first, and with half 
 the labour; but, after a few times, I found 
 them wearing into holes, though they were 
 nearly new." 
 
 " You acted very wisely in seeing how the 
 plan answered before you tried it on your 
 neighbours' property, and honestly, in prefer- 
 ring the extra trouble to breaking the rule of 
 doing to others as you would have them do to 
 you. Is your little boy at home ? " 
 
 ' ' I expect him in every minute, Sir ; he is 
 only gone to the village on an errand. I was 
 very grieved to hear, the other day, that he 
 had been found birds'-nesting in your orchard. 
 He came home in great trouble, and told me 
 all about it ; and I gave him a good talking to. 
 He was very much afraid that you would take 
 
172 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 away your washing from me in consequence ; 
 but I told him that if you had promised to 
 forgive him, there was no fear of that. It all 
 came of his being disobedient, and going about 
 with Bill Johnson." 
 
 " That is just what I wanted to talk to you 
 about ; but here comes Joe himself/' 
 
 The boy now entered, and seeing Mr. Miller, 
 looked confused, if not frightened. 
 
 " Come in, my little man," said Mr. Miller, 
 " and don't be afraid. Your mother said, quite 
 truly, that I did not mean to punish her for 
 your offence. Your first and greatest fault 
 was making a companion of a boy of whom 
 she disapproved ; the offence against me, as it 
 happened, was very trifling. But I mean to 
 say no more about it now. I dare say you are 
 sorry for both the disobedience and the tres- 
 pass, or you would not have confessed it to 
 one who you knew would reprove, and perhaps 
 punish you. Now run away, and show Henry 
 your mother's garden." 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 173 
 
 Joe stammered out a few words, which were 
 intended to mean that he would take good 
 care for the future, and went off, nothing loth, 
 with his young companion. 
 
 As soon as the boys were gone, Mr. Miller 
 thus resumed the conversation : 
 
 " Now, Mrs. Square, you know I am not 
 much given to tale-bearing, or to listening to 
 stories of other people's wicked doings; but 
 where there is good reason to believe that a 
 neighbour is likely to be injured by associating 
 with a person of bad character, it is a positive 
 duty to put him on his guard. Your boy, 
 I fear, is learning no good from young John- 
 son, who, to the best of my belief, is an idle, 
 good-for-nothing fellow ; and I don't think you 
 can be too strict in forbidding Joe to have 
 anything to do with him/* 
 
 " I am afraid, Sir, that what you say is too 
 true, and I am very much obliged to you for 
 giving Joe the advice you did ; for though he 
 is a good boy in the main, and would not, 
 
174 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 I believe, do anything wrong, if he thought 
 about it beforehand, he is giddy, and likely to 
 be led astray before he well knows what he is 
 about. I have often told him to have as little 
 as possible to do with Johnson, and he tells 
 me he had not spoken to him for a fortnight 
 before the day you caught them in your 
 orchard. Johnson joined him that day as he 
 was walking along the road, and persuaded 
 him first, to look for nests in the fields, and 
 then in Mr. Long's rookery, and at last they 
 came to your ground ; but I hope they did not 
 get into any mischief. He has been here once 
 since that ; but Joe would not go with him, 
 even if I had allowed him. Some one, they 
 tell me, has been stealing pheasants' eggs, and 
 selling them. The keepers are looking out 
 sharply, and I heard to-day that Johnson is 
 suspected of being the thief." 
 
 " I trust," said Mr. Miller, " that he has not 
 committed any act of decided dishonesty; 
 though, as I tried to convince him, the habit 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 175 
 
 of breaking fences, and going into places where 
 he might steal if he chose, is likely to lead him 
 into sad temptations. I see, however, that it 
 is not necessary for me to impress on you the 
 necessity of forbidding Joe to keep company 
 with him, so I will not keep you any longer 
 from your washing, but wish you a good 
 morning." 
 
 With these words Mr. Miller left the house, 
 and calling his son, they were soon on their 
 way homewards. 
 
 "And in what state did you find Mrs. 
 Square's garden ?" asked Mr. Miller. "Are 
 her crops in better order than Mrs. John- 
 son s ? " 
 
 " Why, papa, I forgot to look ; for Joe told 
 me he could show me some nests, and when 
 I had seen them I thought you would be wait- 
 ing for me ; but I think it was very orderly. 
 I know she has a large bundle of bean-sticks 
 under a shed, saved from last year, ready for 
 sticking when the time comes, for Joe showed 
 
176 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 me a blackbird's nest in them, with five eggs 
 in it." 
 
 " It was very wise of Mrs. Square to save 
 them. Good bean-sticks cost a good deal of 
 money, and will last for three years, if taken 
 proper care of. But poor people are very 
 much in the habit of letting them stand in the 
 ground till they are rotten. They then break 
 them up and use them for firewood, though 
 half the money that they cost would purchase 
 a larger quantity of serviceable faggots. And 
 what did you see besides ? " 
 
 " Joe took me to an open place in the gar- 
 den, and asked me to look round and see if I 
 could find a nest. I looked all round, but 
 there was not a bush nor a hedge near me, so 
 I soon gave it up, and he showed me a dear 
 little robin's nest built under a wisp of straw 
 which was lying on the ground. It was the 
 very last place I should have thought of looking 
 for one, and I am quite sure I should have 
 passed it by twenty times without finding it. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 177 
 
 The old birds know that Joe has found out 
 their hiding-place ; but they don't mind him 
 a bit, for they carry in grubs and insects to 
 their young, while he is standing close by. 
 He says he should not have found it if he 
 had not seen the old bird fly in, carrying a 
 feather in its mouth. Joe showed me another 
 nest besides this ; he says he thinks it is a 
 nightingale's nest." 
 
 " In what sort of a place is it built ? " asked 
 Mr. Miller, " and what is it made of? " 
 
 " Oh, it is built of scarcely anything but 
 dry oak leaves, and seems so loose that I 
 don't know how it stays together ; and it is 
 in a thick hedge, a very little way from the 
 ground. There are no eggs in it yet, but 
 when there are, Joe says I may haye one of 
 them. May I, papa ? " 
 
 " Judging from your description, I suppose 
 the nest must be a nightingale's. The eggs, 
 however, will tell you to a certainty, as they 
 are unlike those of any other English bird. 
 
 I 
 
178 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 dark olive brown, almost like bronze. It seems 
 almost a pity to take the egg of such a songster 
 as the nightingale, and so to have one bird less 
 next summer ; but as your collection will not 
 be complete without one, I suppose I must say 
 yes, provided that Joe does not consider that a 
 reason why he should take the rest/' 
 
 " Oh, no, papa ! Joe does not collect eggs 
 now; since the day we took the nuthatch's nest, 
 he says he has not taken any nest, and he says 
 the eggs are of no use to him. He asked me 
 if I had a rook's egg, and told me such a funny 
 story about one." 
 
 " And what may that have been ? " 
 " He said that the same day he came to our 
 orchard, Bill Johnson wanted him to go with 
 him to Mr. Long's rookery, but that he was 
 afraid, so Johnson told him to wait outside 
 while he went in. The rookery, you know, is 
 in the park, but close to the road, so that he 
 could see very well through the hedge what 
 was going on inside. Johnson climbed to the 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 179 
 
 top of one of the trees which was easier to get 
 up than the rest, and after taking a great deal 
 of trouble he reached a nest, and found one 
 egg in it. He took this and was coming down 
 again, but as he had to use both his hands to 
 prevent himself from falling, he could only 
 carry the egg by putting it in his mouth. 
 Before he had got half way down, he had to 
 swing himself from one branch to another, 
 and in doing this, somehow or other, he jerked 
 himself so as to break the egg in his mouth. 
 It would not be a very nice thing to break a 
 fresh egg in one's mouth, but this was a great 
 deal worse, for it was addled. Joe saw him 
 sputtering and making wry faces, but he did 
 not know what was the matter until he had 
 come out of the park. The taste was so 
 horrible that he was obliged to fling himself 
 down and roll on the ground, though I don't 
 know what good that could do him. At last 
 he filled his mouth with earth, for there was 
 no water near ; but he could not get the 
 N 2 
 
180 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 taste out of his mouth for an hour or 
 more." 
 
 It is no doubt a most unkind thing to do, 
 to laugh at another person's distress ; yet 
 Mr. Miller could not help thinking that the 
 accident was just of that kind that the mis- 
 chievous boy deserved to meet with, being 
 one which caused him a good deal of incon- 
 venience at the time, but was attended with 
 no permanent injury. Had he fallen and 
 broken an arm, or a leg, he would have been 
 among the first to offer assistance, and would 
 have instantly checked his son, had he shown 
 any inclination to speak lightly of the sufferer. 
 But that an impudent boy, who had broken 
 through a park fence, and attempted to steal 
 eggs from a private rookery, should be punished 
 through the instrumentality of an egg, seemed 
 so just a retribution that he did not hesitate to 
 join in the laugh. He therefore added, 
 
 " I think that Johnson was punished as he 
 deserved, and I should be very glad to believe 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 181 
 
 that he was likely in consequence to alter his 
 mode of life. But I am very much afraid that 
 we shall hear before long of his having done 
 something which will bring him into serious 
 trouble. There is, I am told, a strict watch 
 being kept upon him, and if he is caught out 
 in what he is suspected of, he will find it a 
 much graver affair than being caught in my 
 orchard." 
 
 They had now reached the place where the 
 nest of eggs had been hid away, and having 
 easily found them, resumed their walk, which 
 they finished without meeting with any further 
 incident worth mentioning. 
 
182 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 EGGS BLUE OB GREEN, SPOTTED. 
 
 RAVEN. Corvus Cor ax. 
 PLATE XIV. FIG. 2. 
 
 LIKE most other large birds building early 
 in the season, when there is no friendly foliage 
 to conceal their labours, the Raven usually 
 places its nest, where, however exposed it may 
 be to the gaze of the passer-by, it is most 
 difficult of access. In a forked branch of some 
 lofty tree, or in the niche of a precipitous cliff', 
 the raven builds a substantial structure of 
 sticks and roots, lined with wool and hair. 
 Though not generally noted for its amiability, 
 or in fact for any other good qualities, the 
 raven displays a strong attachment for home. 
 When it has once taken possession of a 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 183 
 
 locality, it rarely deserts it, but returns year 
 after year. Should one of a pair chance to 
 be killed, the survivor finds a new mate, and, 
 strange to say, if both be destroyed, the nest 
 usually finds a new pair of occupants in the 
 following season. The eggs are four or five 
 in number, two inches long, of a pale green, 
 spotted and speckled with darker greenish 
 brown. 
 
 ROOK. Corvus frugilegus. 
 PLA.TE XIII. FIG. 1. 
 
 MANY singular localities of Rooks' nests are 
 noticed by ornithologists ; such, for instance, 
 as the spire of a church in the heart of London, 
 or the vane of the Exchange in Newcastle- 
 upon-Tyne, in which latter situation a nest 
 was constructed annually for ten consecutive 
 years, and was whirled round with every 
 change of wind. It would not, however, be 
 correct to name such situations as the natural 
 places of resort of these birds. The fact is, 
 
184 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 that the rook possesses a strong attachment 
 for the place in which it was reared, and, 
 failing trees, its natural abode, puts up with 
 great inconvenience rather than desert its early 
 haunts. A rookery is so familiar a sight to 
 every one who has eyes, and can use them, 
 that any description would be quite superfluous. 
 The nest is built of sticks, often of large size, 
 and lined with grass and fibrous roots. The 
 eggs, four or five in number, are of a pale 
 greenish colour, blotched with dark brown. 
 
 Rooks appear to be somewhat capricious in 
 selecting the site of a new colony, but it is 
 said that they may be induced to establish 
 themselves in a grove or wood by substituting 
 their eggs for those of a crow or magpie which 
 may happen to have built its nest in the 
 neighbourhood. The young birds having no 
 attachment for any other place, will return the 
 following season, and build their nests where 
 they were reared. 
 
 

BIRDS' NESTS. 185 
 
 CROW. Corvus Corone. 
 PLATE XIII. FIG. 2. 
 
 THE nest of the Crow much resembles that 
 of the rook, but is more frequently placed in 
 the fork of a tree than among the topmost 
 branches, and is always solitary. The eggs 
 are of a pale bluish green, spotted with ash 
 colour and brown. 
 
 MAGPIE. Pica caudata. 
 PLATE XIY. FIG. 1. 
 
 THE nest of the Magpie resembles in shape 
 that of the wren, but is constructed of very 
 different materials. Conscious, perhaps, of his 
 natural propensity to cunning and plunder, he 
 is aware that his character is not held in very 
 high estimation, and that consequently he is 
 liable to be called to account for petty larceny, 
 at least, if not for open robbery. He there- 
 fore establishes himself in the centre of some 
 thick thorn-bush, or high up in a tree, which 
 his sharp eye has discovered to be difficult of 
 
186 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 access. Here he collects a vast quantity of 
 sharp thorny sticks, which he weaves together 
 with consummate skill, as if, indeed, he had 
 been all his days practising the harmless pro- 
 fession of a basket-maker. His house, when 
 finished, presents the appearance of a huge ball 
 of spines, as proof against injury as an angry 
 porcupine. One small hole only in the side 
 is left undefended, through which, the bandit, 
 while at home, keeps a steady watch, and if 
 danger approaches, makes off as rapidly as if 
 every intruder were a policeman. The magpie 
 lays six or seven pale blue eggs, spotted with 
 ash colour, and two shades of greenish brown. 
 These are nearly an inch and a half long, and 
 an inch broad. 
 
 JAY. Garrulus ylandarius. 
 PLATE XV. FIG. 1. 
 
 THERE is nothing remarkable in the nest of 
 the Jay ; it is usually built in a low bush, or 
 in the fork of a tree in a wood. The founda- 
 
BIRDS 3 NESTS. 187 
 
 tion is of small sticks, and the substance of 
 the nest is composed of fine roots with a 
 lining of grass. The eggs, usually five, are 
 an inch and a quarter long, of a greenish 
 tinge, copiously speckled with minute brown 
 specks, which often form a ring towards the 
 larger end. The egg is small in proportion to 
 the size of the bird. 
 
 BLACKBIRD. Turdus Merula. 
 
 PLATE XV. FIG. 2. 
 
 THE Blackbird constructs its nest very early 
 in the season, selecting sometimes a fence of 
 dead brambles, sometimes a quickset hedge, 
 an ivy-clad ruin, an evergreen, or sometimes a 
 solitary bush so much exposed to the public 
 view that one would think the owner indiffe- 
 rent whether it escaped detection or not. As 
 the blackbird begins to sit long before genial 
 spring weather sets in, its eggs require more 
 than ordinary protection from the cold. This 
 
188 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 object the bird attains by building a very sub- 
 stantial nest, laying first a good foundation of 
 small sticks and roots ; this outer fence it then 
 plasters with a thick layer of mud, and lines 
 the whole with dry grass. The eggs are four 
 or five, of a dull bluish green, copiously 
 speckled with reddish brown. The number 
 and size of the spots vary exceedingly in dif- 
 ferent specimens ; sometimes they are minute, 
 and so close together, that the ground is 
 almost concealed ; in other examples, the spots 
 are larger, and the ground of a brighter hue. 
 Some specimens closely resemble the egg of 
 the jay, from which, however, they may be 
 distinguished by. their redder hue, and some- 
 what smaller size. The nest and eggs of the 
 Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus), are very like 
 those of the blackbird, but the former is most 
 usually built upon a ledge of rock, sometimes 
 on banks by the sides of streams, or among 
 heath, or occasionally at the base of a stump 
 or bush. 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 189 
 
 THRUSH. Turdus musicus. 
 PLATE XYL FIG. 3. 
 
 THE Thrush places its nest in nearly the 
 same situations as the blackbird. The outside 
 of the nest is composed of small sticks and 
 fine roots, interwoven with green moss. The 
 inside is plastered with a composition of 
 rotten wood and cow-dung, which, when dry, 
 forms a shell of so close a texture as to be 
 impervious to water. The eggs, four or five 
 in number, are about an inch long, of a beau- 
 tiful bright blue colour, and sparingly marked 
 towards the larger end with well-defined black 
 spots. A further account of the thrush's nest 
 will be found at page 35. 
 
 BULLFINCH. Pyrrlmla vulyaris. 
 PLATE XVI. FIG. 2. 
 
 THE nest of the Bullfinch must be searched 
 for in a shrubbery of evergreens, an ivy-covered 
 
190 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 wall, or the hedge of a wood. It is formed 
 of small twigs and moss, and lined with 
 fibrous roots, not so carefully put together as 
 is the case with many others of the finch 
 tribe. The eggs, four or five in number, are 
 of a delicate pale blue, speckled and blotched 
 with light red and dark purple. 
 
 STONECHAT. Saxicola rubicola. ' 
 PLATE XYI. EIG. 1. 
 
 THE Stonechat builds its nest in the com- 
 mons or open downs, which it frequents during 
 the whole of the year, selecting a low bush 
 usually furze. The nest is constructed of 
 moss and bents, lined with fine grass and 
 feathers. The eggs, usually five, are light 
 grey, faintly speckled near their larger end 
 with a reddish brown. They are readily dis- 
 tinguished from those of the whinchat by 
 being much less blue, and more closely 
 sprinkled with spots. 
 
I 
 
BIRDS 5 NESTS. 191 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 ABOUT a week after the visit to Mrs. John- 
 son and Mrs. Square above mentioned, Henry 
 came running in again .from the orchard with 
 his face beaming with delight, and screaming 
 at the top of his voice, 
 
 " Papa, the nuthatch has come back to its 
 nest; I have just seen it fly into the same 
 hole. Do come and see ! " 
 
 Mr. Miller immediately left his books, and 
 proceeded to the orchard. He dealt a few sharp 
 taps on the trunk of the tree, and sure enough 
 out flew a bird, which immediately perched 
 . among the boughs of a neighbouring tree, cling- 
 ing to the branches in all possible attitudes, and 
 twittering in a very familiar manner. It was 
 not, however a nuthatch, but a great tit, a 
 very pretty bird, with a black head and yellow 
 
192 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 breast, marked down the centre by a dark 
 line. 
 
 The ladder was again sent for, and Henry 
 having eagerly mounted it, thrust his hand 
 into the hole, and produced an egg of about 
 tlie same size as the nuthatch's, and of the 
 same colour, but marked with smaller and 
 lighter spots. There ,were three or four eggs 
 in the nest, but one only was taken, and the 
 nest was not disturbed any further, so that it 
 was not known how many were laid. In due 
 time, however, they were hatched, and a family 
 reared. There was nothing remarkable in the 
 fact that the bird should have selected a spot 
 which another bird had deserted ; but it was 
 very surprising that the tit should have found 
 out the place so soon after the nuthatch had 
 deserted it, have finished a very neat nest, and 
 laid several eggs, all within ten days. Sparrows 
 often build in martins' nests, and hawks in 
 crows' ; but these are old nests. Here, how- 
 ever, the new comers must have set to work 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 193 
 
 almost the very day that the old inhabitants 
 left it, and took less time probably in finish- 
 ing their house, because they were able to use 
 the fresh materials which the nuthatches had 
 collected. 
 
 The eggs were carefully put away in the 
 cabinet, and a note was added to the index, 
 stating that they were both taken from the 
 same nest, added to which was the date of the 
 very day on which each prize was made. 
 
 By this time a thrush, which had built her 
 nest in the fork of a laurel, quite close to the 
 garden gate, had hatched her eggs, and was 
 busily employed in rearing her brood. Not- 
 withstanding the frequent goings in and out 
 of visitors, she never appeared frightened, and 
 would go on with her feeding, even when 
 Henry stood close by watching her. At last 
 he thought of feeding her while she sat brood- 
 ing over her young, and to his great delight 
 found that she cheerfully accepted his hospi- 
 tality, snapping eagerly from a forked stick 
 
194 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 small bits of raw meat, or, when that delicacy 
 could be procured, a worm. As the young 
 birds acquired their feathers, he watched her 
 with great interest teaching them to fly, 
 though one of them made so bad use of his 
 newly-acquired power, as, the first time he 
 made use of his wings, to fly into a cistern, 
 where he was drowned before any one could 
 rescue him. 
 
 But, before this sad event, a very singular 
 thing happened. Mr. Miller was one morning 
 walking in the garden, when he heard the 
 repeated cry of a young bird, half in distress 
 and half in anger. Looking down one of the 
 walks he saw a young bird on the ground, 
 standing quite still, but eagerly watching 
 something hid among the bushes, and scream- 
 ing with all its might. Walking up to the 
 place to see what was the matter, Mr. Miller 
 discovered that the object of the little creature's 
 fear or anger was the cat, which stood among 
 the bushes a few feet off, seeming herself 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 195 
 
 scarcely less astonished than the bird. He 
 clapped his hands, and the cat disappeared 
 in one direction, and the bird scrambled away 
 in the other. Mr. Miller could only account 
 for this strange proceeding, by supposing 
 either that the bird's angry clatter had really 
 made the cat cautious how she touched it, or 
 that finding it in the garden-walk, and near 
 the house, in a place where a brood of chickens 
 were sometimes allowed to run about, she 
 had confounded it with one of them, and 
 abstained from what appeared to her to be her 
 master's property. However this may be, the 
 courageous little fellow was saved from an 
 early death. He did not go back to the nest, 
 from which, perhaps he had fallen by acci- 
 dent, but he was often heard among the bushes 
 asking in his way for food, and an old bird was 
 frequently seen in his neighbourhood, and heard 
 uttering the peculiar note with which some 
 birds accompany the feeding of their young. 
 Some other broods were not so fortunate* 
 o2 
 
196 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 The young birds disappeared from the black- 
 bird's nest one after the other, and that puss 
 was the culprit here there was little doubt, as 
 she was actually seen carrying away one in her 
 mouth. A brood of hedge-sparrows in a holly- 
 bush, on the lawn, were found with their heads 
 eaten off. This mischief was attributed to a 
 stoat, which had been often seen crossing the 
 lawn from the meadow, and running under the 
 very tree in which the nest was placed. These 
 little animals are supposed to be very destruc- 
 tive to birds which build their nests on or 
 near the ground, both by sucking the eggs 
 and killing the young. Indeed, when we 
 come to think on the matter, there must be a 
 very large number of birds annually killed by 
 wild animals and other causes, or they would 
 every year become more numerous. For, 
 supposing each pair of birds to lay only four 
 eggs, and to die in the following winter, 
 (which certainly is not generally the case,) the 
 number of birds belonging to any one sort 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 197 
 
 would double itself every year ; and if this were 
 the case, they would soon become so abundant 
 as to have to fight for places to build their 
 nests. But they do not seem to increase at 
 all. There appears to be just the same number 
 of thrushes and blackbirds, of sparrows and 
 chaffinches, that there was last year. What 
 becomes of them? If they went away to 
 foreign lands, we should hear of their appear- 
 ance there. But other lands are stocked just 
 as well as ours. We hear sometimes of a new 
 kind of bird being found in a certain place, it 
 is true ; but that is usually a bird of passage, 
 about whose ways we know very little. We 
 can only account for the fact by referring all 
 to the Providence of God, who, by various ways 
 known only to himself, so directs the increase 
 of animals, that they shall neither become so 
 numerous as to interfere with each other, nor 
 so scarce as to allow the earth to be overrun 
 with weeds, the seeds of which are consumed 
 by them as food, nor be stripped of its produce 
 
198 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 by insects which afford sustenance to thousands 
 of living creatures. 
 
 These, however, were not all the mischances 
 which occurred to the nests near the house. 
 Mr. Miller, walking through the wood, observed 
 that the grass had been trodden down and the 
 bushes bent aside in the neighbourhood of the 
 pheasant's nest, as if some one had been paying 
 it a visit. This excited his attention so far, 
 that, contrary to his custom, he went up in 
 order to examine it. He found that what he 
 feared had taken place. Some poacher, prowl- 
 ing through the wood, had discovered the nest 
 and carried off its contents. This was a great 
 disappointment, for though the wood belonged 
 to his neighbour, Mr. Long, he had looked 
 forward with much pleasure to having a brood 
 of these beautiful birds within a short distance 
 of his house ; not that he might shoot them, 
 for he was no sportsman ; but that he might 
 watch their habits, listen for their curious 
 crow in the spring, and occasionally be agree- 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 199 
 
 ably startled as they suddenly rose from the 
 thick underwood, and flew heavily to another 
 part of the cover. This, however, was now 
 out of the question, since the wood being a 
 small one, it was not likely to contain an- 
 other nest. 
 
 He searched carefully about, in hopes of 
 finding something which might help to convict 
 the offender, but without success. The ground 
 was so thickly covered with long grass, blue- 
 bells, and other woodland flowers, that no foot- 
 prints could be detected, and after a while 
 he gave up the search. On regaining the 
 path, he began to return homewards, when 
 his attention was aroused by a little bit of 
 something white sticking to a bramble. He 
 picked it off, and found it to be the corner of 
 what appeared to be a newspaper ; and on ex- 
 amining the ground more closely, he observed 
 that the plants had been recently pressed down, 
 as if something heavy had been laid on them. 
 The thought immediately occurred to him, that 
 
200 BIRDS 3 NESTS. 
 
 the thief, whoever he might be, might have 
 stopped and laid down his prize here, in order 
 to wrap it up in paper brought for the express 
 purpose, so that he might carry it off without 
 exciting suspicion, in case he met any one 
 before he could get rid of his booty. 
 
 From the wood Mr. Miller repaired to a 
 shrubbery yet nearer the house, to make sure 
 of the safety of a favourite white duck, which 
 had chosen to lay her eggs and sit on them 
 in a place quite accessible from the meadow 
 bordering the wood and garden. 
 
 Domestic fowls frequently take strange 
 fancies. Sometimes they seem bent' on laying 
 their eggs all in one nest, in order that they 
 may afterwards fight for the ownership of the 
 whole ; and very frequently they take so strong 
 a dislike to laying in the place which has been 
 provided for them, no matter how well adapted 
 for the purpose it may be, that they will pre- 
 fer any other place to which they can get 
 access. A pile of wood, a haystack, a ditch, 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 201 
 
 anything is thought better than the warm, 
 dry hen-house, where no one is likely to dis- 
 turb them, and where abundance of food is 
 always within reach. Mr. Miller's poultry 
 were very perverse. One hen had made her 
 nest in the kitchen-garden, choosing a bed of 
 carrots ; another had wandered away into the 
 wood, where she stayed for twenty-four hours 
 together, and only came home to be fed ; but 
 what particular spot she had fixed on nobody 
 could find out, though she had been watched 
 many times. She had, however, made a wise 
 selection, as it happened ; for one day she was 
 observed proudly walking up the meadow, 
 with a brood of a dozen chickens at her heels. 
 Another had taken it into her head that the 
 highest place was the safest ; so she had chosen 
 a beam which went across from one side to 
 the other of an old barn. She was not dis- 
 covered until her eggs were almost ready to 
 be hatched ; and when this had taken place, 
 the gardener was obliged to fetch them down 
 
202 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 one by one, by the help of a ladder. Whether 
 the silly mother had formed any plan in her 
 own head for getting down her chickens, never 
 appeared. Perhaps it was her first brood, and 
 she did not know that they would not be able 
 to fly as soon as they were hatched, but thought 
 that as she was able to fly up, they would be 
 able to fly down to her, much the easier opera- 
 tion of the two. One of the ducks could find 
 no place, either in the poultry-yard, garden, 
 meadow, or wood, to suit her taste, but had 
 scrambled through a thick hedge, and made 
 her nest in a ditch, by the side of the road, 
 over which carts, horses, and people, passed 
 at all hours of the day. She always covered 
 her eggs with dry leaves and rubbish whenever 
 she left it, and so made it very difficult to find 
 them; but it was clear that she must have 
 always chosen some time for doing so when 
 nobody was passing, or she would certainly 
 have been observed. The gardener found her 
 out before she had begun to sit, and took the 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 203 
 
 eggs ; so the next time she visited her nest, 
 finding it empty, she went there no more. 
 
 Another duck, the white one mentioned 
 above, had made her nest in a bed of peri- 
 winkles, not far from the house. Her white 
 colour discovered her soon after she had begun 
 to sit; but since it was not expected that 
 trespassers would come into the garden, and 
 she was tolerably well hid by the plants around 
 her, she was allowed to retain her post undis- 
 turbed. She was very tame, and would not 
 only allow any one to come close to her with- 
 out moving, but if any one held out to her a 
 handful of barley, would quickly gobble it up, 
 without leaving her eggs. This fearlessness of 
 strangers made Mr. Miller more afraid, that 
 if, as he suspected, some dishonest .person had 
 been prowling about the place, both duck and 
 eggs would have been carried off. A few 
 minutes set the matter at rest. The plants 
 were trampled down, the eggs gone,, though, 
 being within a few days of hatching, they were 
 
204 BIRDS NESTS. 
 
 utterly useless, and the duck was no where to 
 be seen. After a short search, her dead body 
 was found lying among the shrubs ; from 
 which it was pretty clear that the thief had 
 carried off the eggs, but was afraid to take 
 the duck as well, lest he should be detected 
 by the feathers. 
 
 There was great grief in the house when 
 the story was told, and Henry particularly 
 was very indignant with the culprit. " Poor 
 duck," he said, " that used to be so tame, and 
 let me feed it whenever I liked ! What can 
 they have killed it for, if they did not want it 
 to eat ? I wish we could catch the thief, and 
 send him to prison. Papa ! I do think John- 
 son must have done it." 
 
 " What reason have you for thinking that ? ' 
 said Mr. Miller. 
 
 " Oh, I don't know, except that he is just 
 the sort of fellow to break into any one's gar- 
 den and steal eggs." 
 
 " I am afraid," replied Mr. Miller, " that 
 
 ; 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 205 
 
 there are too many of those who disobey God's 
 commandments, both in that and other ways, 
 for us to fix on any one as the culprit. John- 
 son, I dare say, would not shrink from break- 
 ing into a garden, more than into an orchard 
 or a park ; but you must remember that he 
 has not been brought up to see any harm in 
 robbing birds' nests anywhere. It would be 
 unjust, however, to take it for granted that he 
 would steal ducks' and pheasants' eggs, which 
 are private property, because he does not 
 scruple to take the eggs of a thrush or black- 
 bird, which can scarcely be said to belong to 
 any one, or to which no one at least lays claim. 
 Therefore, though you may suspect Johnson, 
 in your own mind, you have no right to injure 
 him by naming your suspicions to a single 
 person, not even to me, unless indeed you have 
 a good reason, which you say you have not." 
 
 Henry could not but see the justice of this 
 remark, and said no more, though his thoughts 
 still ran in the same direction ; and to tell the 
 
206 
 
 BIRDS NESTS. 
 
 truth, Mr, Miller himself was convinced in his 
 own mind that the same person, partly from 
 daring, partly from revenge at being caught 
 in the orchard, and still more, perhaps, from 
 the hope of gain, had stolen both the phea- 
 sants' and ducks' eggs. How far he was 
 right, we shall see by-and-by. 
 
.<j^%.' 4 ;-.-,v 
 
 ^v ; 
 &l * 
 
 %n$Mr 
 
 LI 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 207 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 GROUND VARIOUS, MARKED WITH SPOTS AND IRREGULAR LINES. 
 
 H A WFIN CH . Coccothraustes vulgaris. 
 PLATE XVIII. FIG. 3. 
 
 THE only nest of this bird which I have 
 ever seen was found high up in a young oak- 
 tree, the foundation being composed of twigs, 
 and all the remainder of the nest consisting of 
 the grey tangled lichen, which is found growing 
 on the branches of old trees. The whole was 
 very loosely put together, and seemed to show 
 that, expert though the Hawfinch is in cracking 
 the stones of cherries and haws with his pon- 
 derous beak, he does not possess much skill as 
 a weaver. It contained five eggs, of a very 
 light olive-green hue, with a few brown spots, 
 and numerous irregular lines of a lighter tint, 
 varying greatly in length, thickness, and direc- 
 
208 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 tion. So peculiar are its colour and markings 
 that it cannot be confounded with the egg of 
 any other British bird. 
 
 COMMON BUNTING. Emberiza Miliaria. 
 PLATE XVII. FIG. 2. 
 
 THE nest of this bird is usually placed at 
 the border of a field, only a few inches from 
 the ground, and supported by the tangled 
 stems of low shrubs and dry grass. The 
 eggs, which are four or five in number, are 
 about an inch long, of a reddish or purplish 
 white, blotched and speckled with dark purple, 
 and w r ith here and there a few irregular lines 
 of the same colour. 
 
 YELLOW HAMMER. Emberiza Citrinella. 
 
 PLATE XVII. FIG. 3. 
 
 LIKE the last species of bunting, the Yellow 
 Hammer, or Yellow r Bunting, mostly places its 
 nest near the ground, under shelter of a bush 
 at the border of a field, on the skirts of a 
 common, or near the bank of a stream. Its 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 209 
 
 nest is constructed of bents and roots and 
 moss, lined with hair. It is a late builder, and 
 hatches its eggs in June and July, the period 
 when grasshoppers, the favourite food, it is 
 said, of its young, are abundant. The eggs are 
 very like those of the common bunting, less 
 spotted, but smaller and marked with longer 
 and more numerous lines. 
 
 REED BUNTING. Emberiza Schcenidus. 
 
 PLATE XVII. PIG. 1, AND PLATE XVIII. PIG. 1. 
 THE nest of the Reed or Black -headed 
 Bunting differs but little from the preceding. 
 It is, however, most frequently placed near the 
 margin of a river or canal, especially where 
 reeds or rushes are abundant. The eggs are 
 four or five in number, of a dull purple brown 
 colour, marked with broad, irregular curved 
 lines of darker purple. Prom the following 
 incident, related by Mr. Neville Wood, it ap- 
 pears that this bird must be classed among 
 those which display an unusual amount of 
 p 
 
210 BIRDS' NESTS, 
 
 instinct in preventing their nest from being 
 discovered. " Some years ago, when walking 
 with a friend, I remember seeing two of these 
 birds in an osier bed, the male perched erect at 
 the summit of a willow stem, and his mate 
 remaining beneath, only occasionally coining 
 within view. On our entering the osiers, they 
 both flew round us in great alarm, mostly in 
 silence, but sometimes uttering a low, mourn- 
 ful kind of note, at the same time darting 
 suddenly about the hedge and willow stems, 
 as if impatient for our immediate departure ; 
 and their manners were so different from those 
 commonly observed in the species, that we 
 were convinced that there must be a nest 
 thereabouts. I was well aware of the diffi- 
 culty of finding its little tenement in a situa- 
 tion of that kind, and accordingly we both of 
 us began to move in different directions, in 
 order to discover, by the actions of the birds, 
 where their treasure lay. My friend traversed 
 one side of the osier bed, and myself the 
 
* ' 
 CHAF INCH 
 

BIRDS' NESTS. 211 
 
 other ; but still the loving and faithful couple 
 remained in precisely the same spot where the 
 junction of two hedgerows formed a corner, 
 and we therefore concluded, naturally enough, 
 that in that spot all their hopes were centered. 
 But a close and minute investigation of the 
 whole corner, during which time we laid the 
 ground completely bare, revealed nothing to 
 us. At length, a full hour after the commence- 
 ment of our labours, I hit upon the nest by 
 mere chance, at exactly the opposite end to 
 that at which the reed buntings had been, 
 and still were, prosecuting their winnings and 
 manoeuvres, which now proved beyond a doubt, 
 what I had never before suspected, that the 
 birds had been all the time endeavouring to 
 attract our attention towards them instead of 
 towards the nest." 
 
 CHAFFINCH. Frwgilla coelebs. 
 
 PLATE XYITI. FIG. 2. 
 
 FEW nests surpass that of the Chaffinch, 
 either in elegance, selection of materials, or 
 P2 
 
212 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 skill with which the various substances em- 
 ployed are felted together. The bird itself has 
 the style and deportment of a rustic beau, and 
 constructs a habitation in accordance with his 
 own air of neatness and propriety. Not con- 
 tent with making it snug and comfortable 
 within, he expends as much care on the out- 
 side as on the interior, and finishes off the 
 edge with as much symmetry as if it had been 
 modelled in a turning-lathe or on a potter's 
 wheel. The main substance of the nest con- 
 sists of moss and wool, felted together with 
 wonderful skill. The outside and rim are 
 decorated with spangles of white and green 
 lichen, picked from the bark of trees. Instances 
 are recorded in which the bird, instead of 
 using the white lichen described above, has 
 employed tiny scraps of white paper, or, in 
 the neighbourhood of cotton factories, small 
 tufts of cotton wool. It is commonly said 
 that the chaffinch thus studs its nest with 
 lichens, in order that it may present as close a 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 213 
 
 resemblance as possible to the tree in which it 
 is placed ; and, indeed, when the nest is built 
 in the fork of a branch, it is often difficult to 
 distinguish it ; but when it is situated, as is 
 often the case, in a thick bush, or among twigs 
 of a tree on which no such lichen is growing, 
 it can be actuated by no such motive; for 
 here the variety of colouring tends rather to 
 betray than to conceal it. For my own part, 
 I cannot help thinking that the smooth ex- 
 terior, the beautifully rounded margin, and the 
 varied colouring, are so many evidences, that 
 the sole end of the bird is not concealment, 
 but that it is a natural appreciation of what is 
 beautiful in form and colouring. The interior 
 of the nest is thickly lined with dry grass, 
 wool, feathers, thistledown, and hair, and, in 
 fact, any soft material that can be met with. 
 The eggs, usually five, are of a greenish purple 
 or buff hue, variously spotted, and streaked 
 with dark purple. 
 
214 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 ON the Saturday following the incidents 
 recorded in the chapter preceding the last, 
 Mr. Miller, accompanied by his son, paid a 
 visit to the market -town of K , distant 
 about six miles from their house. As they 
 went in a carriage, there was no possibility of 
 pursuing the new study, though Henry's eye 
 followed every bird that crossed the road, and 
 frequent were the exclamations " What a 
 good place for a whitethroat's or a chaffinch's 
 nest ! " 
 
 As they drew near the town, the unusual 
 number of carts, horsemen, and people on 
 foot, showed that it was market day. Henry, 
 who lived quite in the country, and rarely 
 visited the town, soon became so much in- 
 terested in watching all that was going on, 
 that for a time he forget his late engrossing 
 amusement. 
 
BIRDS 3 NESTS. 215 
 
 Having put up his horse at the inn, Mr. 
 Miller, still accompanied by his son, made 
 his way as well as he could through the rows 
 of baskets, and crowds of market-people, to 
 the Town Hall, an old but venerable building, 
 supported on pillars, the upper floor of which 
 was used as a room for the magistrates to meet 
 in, and the lower as a corn-market. 
 
 It was now a few minutes past the usual 
 time of meeting, so that when they entered, 
 the magistrates had taken their seats, and 
 business was about to commence. 
 
 A policeman made way through a crowd of 
 country people, and opened a barrier through 
 which the father and son passed, and seated 
 themselves on a bench a little to the left of the 
 magistrates. Mr. Miller was himself in the 
 commission of the peace ; but, for certain rea- 
 sons, he did not wish to act on that day, so he 
 simply bowed to his brother magistrates, and 
 continued a mere spectator. 
 
 The first visit to a court of justice always 
 
216 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 makes a great impression, and Henry was 
 much struck by the grave appearance of all 
 that he saw. The old, dark, heavy pictures, 
 the carved roof, the formal benches, with a 
 long table beneath, the quiet demeanour of the 
 people, who, instead of talking and laughing, 
 were evidently intent on what was going on : all 
 these things had a powerful effect on the boy 
 an effect, too, which was much heightened by 
 his not having been told beforehand where he 
 was being taken. But how much greater was 
 his surprise when he saw, standing by himself 
 in a little oblong box or pen, opposite the 
 magistrates' seat, no other than Bill Johnson ! 
 The whole truth flashed upon him ; the un- 
 happy boy had been taken up for some dis- 
 honest act, and w r as now brought before the 
 magistrates to be examined. Perhaps he had 
 been in prison, or would be taken to prison, 
 or would be transported, or have to work in 
 chains as a convict. Before, however, he could 
 recover from his feeling of wonder and terror 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 217 
 
 i 
 at this, to him awful sight, sufficiently to ask 
 
 his father the meaning of what he saw, business 
 commenced, by some one calling in a loud voice 
 for the " witnesses against William Johnson." 
 
 Presently a man forced his way through the 
 crowd, whom Henry immediately recognised 
 as Thomas Morris, whom his father often em- 
 ployed as a carpenter about the house. This 
 man stepped into another little pen, where he 
 could be seen both by the prisoner and the 
 magistrates. The clerk handed him a Testa- 
 ment, and told him to swear that the evidence 
 he was about to give was " the truth, the 
 whole truth, and nothing but the truth/' The 
 witness pressed the book to his lips ; the clerk 
 sat down, and the magistrate who sat on the 
 highest seat in the middle, asked him his 
 name and occupation. 
 
 He answered distinctly, " Thomas Morris, 
 carpenter." 
 
 " Now state what you have to say against 
 the prisoner." 
 
218 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 " Why, your worship, about six o'clock last 
 Wednesday morning, William Johnson, the 
 boy standing at the bar, came into my shop, 
 as I was at work about a corn-chest, and asked 
 me if I wanted to buy a pheasant. I said, 
 Certainly not, as it was unlawful to kill or have 
 a pheasant at this season. ' I wish you would 
 buy it,' said he ; 'it is a very fine one, and 
 you shall have it for a shilling, and you will 
 be able to make a great deal more than that 
 by it.' ' 
 
 " Pray," interrupted the magistrate, " are 
 you licensed to deal in game, that people bring 
 you pheasants for sale ? " 
 
 " No ! your worship." 
 
 " How came it then, that the prisoner 
 thought of bringing the pheasant to you rather 
 than to any one else ? " 
 
 " Why, Sir, in my leisure hours in the even- 
 ings, and when work is slack, I amuse myself 
 with stuffing birds, and when anything uncom- 
 mon is shot in the neighbourhood, it is gene- 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 219 
 
 rally brought to me, that I may tell its name. 
 The gentry often employ me to set up such 
 things for them ; but if anything uncommon 
 is brought by any one who does not want to 
 have it, I offer a trifle for it, and when I have 
 stuffed it, I either keep it myself, or sell it, if I 
 can get a customer. Bill Johnson must have 
 known that very well, and thought, I suppose, 
 that I should be sure to give a shilling for so 
 large a bird as a pheasant/' 
 
 " Well/' said the magistrate, " what hap- 
 pened then ? " 
 
 " Why, your worship, all at once it occurred 
 to me that it was unlikely that he should have 
 a pheasant in his possession by honest means, 
 at any time of the year, and that it was cer- 
 tainly contrary to law that he should have one 
 now in the egging season; and if that were so, 
 I thought it would be my duty to find out, if 
 I could, how he came by it ; so I said, 'But I 
 must see it first, and hear where you got it/ 
 Upon this he opened a paper parcel, and took 
 
220 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 out the bird which the policeman has in his 
 hands, and said that he had been nesting that 
 morning in Cobb-wood, and that all at once 
 he heard a gun go off, and was frightened at 
 first, thinking that some one was firing at him 
 for trespassing. When he looked round, how- 
 ever, he saw a man whom he did not know, 
 with a gun in his hand, in the act of picking 
 up a pheasant that he had shot. Just then 
 the man turned and saw him, asked him who 
 he was, and what business he had there ? He 
 said, however, he was not to be frightened, 
 and had as much right there as the man, and 
 that he would inform against him for poach- 
 ing, and get the penalty. ( Upon that/ said he, 
 c the man said he did not care, because I did 
 not know who he was, but that I had better 
 not make a stir about it, and that if I would 
 go away quietly, he would give me the bird 
 he had just shot ; but that if I followed him, 
 he should think no more of shooting a jail- 
 bird than a pheasant. So I took it, and came 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 221 
 
 straight here to you/ This was his story, 
 Sir/ 3 
 
 " And what made you doubt it ? " said the 
 magistrate. 
 
 " Why, Sir, in the first place, I knew the 
 keepers kept too strict a watch in Cobb-wood 
 at egging-time, to let any poachers come there 
 by broad daylight ; and, in the next place, I 
 looked carefully at the pheasant, and saw that 
 it had not been shot at all, but had been killed 
 by having its neck twisted. So I said to him, 
 ' Now, you are not going to impose upon me 
 with that nonsense. This is a hen pheasant 
 that has been caught sitting; the feathers have 
 been all rubbed off her breast, 5 (and if your 
 worship will please to look at the bird, you will 
 see that it is as I say,) 'and it's my firm belief 
 that you caught her on the nest, and have stolen 
 the eggs. So, unless you can produce the man 
 who gave it to you, I shall take the bird to 
 Mr. Long or Mr. Miller, and have a warrant 
 against you/ : 
 
222 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 " And what did he say to that ? " 
 " He began to talk very impudently, and 
 said I might go if I liked ; but that I had no 
 business to steal his bird, for no one could 
 prove that he had come by it dishonestly. 
 But I kept it safe, until I was told to give it 
 up to the policeman." 
 
 " Prisoner," said the presiding magistrate, 
 "do you wish to ask this witness any questions? 
 Remember, what you say will be written down, 
 and used against you." 
 
 " I never killed the pheasant/ 5 muttered 
 Johnson, in a sulky tone ; " I saw a man 
 shoot it on Wednesday morning in Cobb- 
 wood, and he gave it to me for not informing 
 against him." 
 
 " Have you anything more to say ? " 
 " No; except that Mr. Morris has been telling 
 a pack of lies against me, because I broke a pane 
 of glass in his shop last winter. Many's the 
 pheasant he has poached himself." 
 
 The witness was about to reply, when one 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 223 
 
 of the magistrates stopped him, by saying that 
 he knew him to be an honest man, who would 
 neither tell a falsehood, nor harbour malice 
 against his neighbour. 
 
 Ci Is there any one here who can say any- 
 thing in favour of the prisoner's character ? " 
 asked the chairman. " Prisoner, have you any 
 witnesses ? " 
 
 Johnson looked vacantly round the room, 
 and said, in his usual impudent tone, " Yes, 
 plenty ; but you have taken good care to have 
 none of them here/' 
 
 The magistrates began to whisper together, 
 when Mr. Miller stood up and said, he believed 
 he could throw some light on the matter ; 
 " but," added he, " I must be allowed to 
 step into the witness-box/' He accordingly 
 went down to the body of the court, and the 
 oath having been administered to him in the 
 usual form, he narrated all the particulars of 
 his finding the pheasant's nest, as given in the 
 last chapter. When he had finished, he drew 
 
224 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 from his pocket the piece of paper which he 
 had found sticking to the bramble, and hand- 
 ing it across the table, begged the magistrate 
 to see whether it corresponded with the paper 
 in which the pheasant had been wrapped. 
 Both pieces were now handed up to the bench, 
 and so intense was the excitement, that no 
 sound was heard except the rustling of the 
 paper, as the magistrate unfolded it, and 
 searched for a place from which a piece had 
 been torn. The paper was very much rumpled 
 and uneven, so that it took some time to flat- 
 ten it. Meanwhile, Mr. Miller glanced at the 
 miserable prisoner, and if ever convicted guilt 
 \vas visible in a culprit's face, it was clearly 
 written in Johnson's. 
 
 The rustling ended ; all three magistrates 
 bent their heads over the desk, on which the 
 paper was spread ; the silence became if pos- 
 sible yet more intense, but at last was broken 
 by the chairman's rising, and holding up the 
 paper with the little piece so accurately fitted 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 225 
 
 in, that it was impossible to doubt that the 
 two had once formed one and the same sheet. 
 And not only did the pieces exactly correspond 
 in shape, but the fracture had been made 
 through the word GAZETTE, printed at the 
 top, in such a way that the G and part of the 
 A were on the small piece, and the rest on the 
 large. 
 
 " We have no doubt," said he, " that this 
 small piece of paper once formed a part of the 
 same newspaper with the large. Since this, 
 however, is a serious matter, I will thank you, 
 Mr. Miller, to answer a few questions that I 
 am about to put to you, not that we doubt 
 your word, but in order to afford the prisoner 
 every chance of proving his innocence. Pray, 
 at what time on Wednesday morning did you 
 make this discovery ? " 
 
 " About half-past seven." 
 
 " What sort of weather had there been the 
 previous night ? " 
 
 " It rained very heavily when I went to bed 
 Q 
 
226 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 at eleven o'clock ; but at what hour it cleared 
 up I cannot say." 
 
 " What was the state of the ground when 
 you took your walk at half-past seven ? " 
 
 " The grass was very wet ; so wet, indeed, 
 that I was deterred from walking through the 
 meadow, according to my usual custom, and 
 went by the path through the wood instead/' 
 
 " Did you remark when you found the piece 
 of paper, whether it was wet or dry ? " 
 
 " I did remark, and am quite certain that 
 it was barely damp ; it could not possibly 
 have been exposed to the rain of the previous 
 night." 
 
 " That is just what I wanted to arrive at ; 
 but at this season of the year the sun rises 
 very early, and may have dried the paper, 
 since, as you say, it was hanging to a bush, 
 and did not touch the ground." 
 
 " I do not think that that was possible, as 
 the morning was cloudy ; and even if the sun 
 had been shining elsewhere, it could not have 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 227 
 
 penetrated the thick wood in which the inci- 
 dent occurred. I have no doubt that, however 
 the paper came there, and by whomsoever 
 brought, the time was early on Wednesday 
 morning." 
 
 " You are acquainted with Cobb-wood, 
 and know the residence of Mr. Morris, 
 I presume ? " 
 
 " Perfectly." 
 
 " Now, how far are they distant from the 
 place where the paper was found, and from 
 each other ? " 
 
 " Cobb-wood lies ten miles north of the 
 place where the pheasant's nest was placed ; 
 and Mr. Morris's, four miles to the east. The 
 distance between Cobb-wood and Mr. Morris's 
 is rather more than twelve miles." 
 
 " And where does Johnson live ? " 
 
 "About two miles from the nest." 
 
 (C If I understand you rightly, then, if the 
 prisoner had visited both the pheasant's nest 
 and Cobb-wood before he went to Mr. Morris's, 
 Q2 
 
228 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 lie must have walked just two miles to the 
 nest, then ten to Cobb-wood, and then twelve 
 to Mr. Morris's, in all, twenty-four miles before 
 six o'clock a distance which it would have 
 been impossible for him to perform without 
 visiting one, at least, of the woods, by night, 
 which could not have been for any honest 
 purpose. Prisoner, do you wish to ask this 
 witness any questions ? " 
 
 Johnson made no reply, and the magistrate 
 thanking Mr. Miller for the information he had 
 given, begged him to resume his seat on the 
 bench, much to Henry's satisfaction, who was 
 not at all pleased to be separated so far from 
 him in so terrible a place as the Guildhall now 
 appeared to him. 
 
 The magistrates now conferred together for 
 a few minutes, and during this time every one 
 in the hall seemed to be relieved from an 
 oppressive weight. That Johnson had taken 
 both bird and eggs no one doubted, though 
 nothing had been said about the latter. The 
 

BIRDS' NESTS. 229 
 
 only doubt was what the sentence would be, 
 and opinions passed from one to another, so 
 that the breathless stillness which had before 
 been so remarkable was now exchanged for a 
 general whispering. This, however, was soon 
 over. At a sign from one of the magistrates, 
 an officer of the court proclaimed " Silence ! " 
 and every voice was hushed, while all eyes 
 were turned towards the chairman, who, ad- 
 dressing Johnson, spoke as follows : 
 
 " Prisoner, we are of opinion that on the 
 morning of Wednesday last, whether alone or 
 in company with some other person we cannot 
 say, you went to Mr. Long's wood, and sur- 
 prised a hen-pheasant while sitting on her 
 nest. What became of the eggs there has 
 been no evidence to prove ; but there is not a 
 shadow of doubt that you cruelly killed the 
 old bird, wrapped it in a newspaper, and 
 offered it for sale to Thomas Morris. Now, 
 the mere act of taking the eggs would make 
 you liable to a severe penalty ; but we have 
 
230 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 not thought it necessary to go into this, it 
 being clear to us that we can satisfy the ends 
 of justice without inquiring whether you took 
 them or not. In the first place, then, you 
 violated the law of the land by entering on 
 Mr. Long's land, in search of pheasants' eggs, 
 if you took them, or at all events, in search of 
 game ; secondly, you committed an illegal act 
 by killing a pheasant, not having a game cer- 
 tificate, though I may add, it is unlawful for 
 any one to kill game at this season ; and, 
 thirdly, you violated the law by offering the 
 pheasant for sale. Now, as you are a mere 
 boy, it might be urged on your behalf that 
 you did not know there was any harm in going 
 into Mr. Long's wood that you killed the 
 bird merely out of reckless cruelty and having 
 killed it, you thought you might as well make 
 a little money by selling it, being all the while 
 in ignorance that you were doing anything 
 wrong. That excuse cannot be made for you. 
 Had you committed the offence in ignorance, 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 231 
 
 the most natural course that you could have 
 pursued, would have been to have told Mr. 
 Morris the whole truth; and had you then been 
 brought before us, we should have taken your 
 youth into consideration, and probably have 
 inflicted only a trifling penalty. Instead, how^- 
 ever, of telling the truth, you endeavoured to 
 shift the blame from yourself to some one else, 
 thereby proving that you knew you had done 
 wrong; and not content with this falsehood, 
 you did all in your power, though without 
 any effect, to injure the character of a man 
 who, for truth, honesty and integrity, is on a 
 par with any one in this hall. Taking into 
 account, therefore, your evident consciousness 
 that what you were doing was wrong, your 
 falsehoods, and your malicious spirit towards 
 Mr. Morris, we think we should not do right 
 were we not to pass on you a severe sentence, 
 which is, that you pay a fine of 3/., or be im- 
 prisoned for two months. I shall make it my 
 
232 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 business to see the chaplain of the gaol, and 
 give him all the particulars of your story, in 
 order that he may know that he has not to 
 deal with an ordinary case of trespass, but a 
 wretched mixture of falsehood, malice, and dis- 
 honesty. Well will it be for you if you listen to 
 the good instruction which he will give you; 
 otherwise, I am afraid to contemplate what 
 your future course may be." 
 
 Johnson not being able, of course, to pay so 
 large a sum as three pounds, was on the point 
 of being removed by the constable, when he 
 appeared at last to be affected by the wretched 
 condition in which he had placed himself. 
 Naturally impudent, he had never been checked 
 by his parents, except when his impudence 
 thwarted their will, and then he was punished 
 with passion and severity, which hardened 
 him yet more. Now, however, the great dig- 
 nity of the magistrates, joined to the dread of 
 being committed for the first time to prison, 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 233 
 
 overawed him. He had been all along buoyed 
 up by the hope, that his story about Cobb-wood 
 was so plausible a one, that it must be be- 
 lieved ; as he was quite sure in his own mind, 
 that no evidence could be brought forward of 
 his having been in Mr. Long's wood, except 
 that of a man who could not inform against 
 him, without getting himself into mischief. 
 
 The true state of his case was this. There 
 lived a few miles off a bird-fancier, whose 
 occupation was to catch linnets, bullfinches, 
 arid other small birds, and to sell them to the 
 dealers in London ; an employment so utterly 
 unmanly and cruel in itself, that it could not 
 but deaden the heart against all feelings of 
 mercy and justice. To this iniquitous occu- 
 pation he added the secret business of col- 
 lecting either with his own hands, or by 
 purchasing from any one who would supply 
 them, the eggs of pheasants and partridges. 
 These he sold either to London dealers, or to 
 
234 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 a person calling himself a gentleman, who had 
 bought an estate in the neighbourhood, and 
 adopted this infamous method of stocking it 
 with game. Johnson had often fallen in with 
 this man, and had been fixed on as a boy who 
 in time would become a very useful tool ; for 
 though he had never before been tempted 
 actually to steal eggs, he had only refused 
 from fear of being caught. The fear of doing 
 evil in the sight of God he had long lost sight 
 of. To cut the story short partly by taunts, 
 and partly by holding out a reward, the man 
 at last induced him to take him to this wood, 
 where Johnson in his birds'-nesting wander- 
 ings had found the pheasant's nest. The man 
 was to stay outside in the road, and Johnson, 
 if he brought out the eggs safe, was to have a 
 shilling for his trouble. He did bring them 
 out safe, and not only so, but caught the old 
 bird on her nest ; and, hardened by success, 
 proceeded to Mr. Miller's garden, where he 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 235 
 
 caught the duck also on her nest, and killed 
 her out of spite to the owner. Little did he 
 think that, by the providence of God, a trifling 
 scrap of paper was to bring to light enough 
 of the truth to prove him guilty. But so it 
 is : the eye of God is always on us, and His 
 finger often points out the criminal to man, 
 in order that men may not run riot in their 
 strong determination not to be found out. 
 
 But to return to the story, which is now 
 drawing to its close. The dread of spending 
 two months in prison so terrified Johnson, 
 that when the constable proceeded to remove 
 him he clung to the rail, and falling on his 
 knees, implored the magistrates to forgive him 
 only this once, and he would never so offend 
 again. 
 
 The magistrates' reply was strict and dig- 
 nified. " We cannot now alter our sentence, 
 as w T e cannot believe, after the hard-hearted- 
 ness you have shown, that your repentance is 
 
236 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 anything more than sorrow that you have been 
 found out. It is possible that you may have 
 been led away by others to commit this crime ; 
 if so, you must now take the consequences. 
 In the present state of affairs, our duty is to 
 punish, it is for God only to forgive. In 
 prison you will be for a time separated from 
 your late wicked companions, and will be 
 taught in what frame of mind you ought to 
 apply for that forgiveness. What we should 
 have done, had your defence been a true one, 
 is another question ; but we cannot put any 
 faith in the promises of one who a few 
 minutes since endeavoured to screen himself, 
 by blackening the character of an honest man." 
 The prisoner was then removed, almost by 
 force, and the court proceeded to other busi- 
 ness. 
 
 Mr. Miller and Henry had a silent ride 
 home that afternoon. And next day, before 
 they went to church, Mr. Miller pointed out 
 
BIRDS NESTS. 
 
 237 
 
 to Henry two passages in the Litany; they 
 were these : 
 
 " Erom hardness of heart, and contempt of Thy word and 
 commandment ; 
 
 " Good Lord, deliver us. 
 
 " That It may please Thee to show Thy pity upon all prisoners 
 and captives; 
 
 " We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord'' 
 
238 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 GROUND VARIOUS, MOTTLED WITH GREEN OR BROWN, 
 
 BLACKCAP. Curruca atricapilla. 
 PLATE XX. FIG. 3. 
 
 THIS, one of the most delightful of our 
 summer warblers, builds its nest rather late in 
 the season, and is said to be so very particular 
 in selecting a spot as frequently to commence 
 and abandon a nest in two or three different 
 places. When a locality is finally determined 
 on, the nest is usually placed in a hedge or low 
 bush, a few feet from the ground, and is con- 
 structed of bents, lined with fibrous roots and 
 hair. The eggs are five, of a pale greenish 
 white, variously mottled with several shades of 
 brown, three quarters of an inch long, and 
 little more than half an inch broad. They re- 
 semble so closely those of the garden warbler, 
 that it is impossible to decide between them 
 
' 
 
 >'~ 
 
" ' ' ' J f :, 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 239 
 
 without watching the bird on its nest. Not 
 uncommonly the eggs are all of a pinkish hue, 
 mottled with light purple, and speckled with 
 dark purple. This variety is so different from 
 the preceding that no one would suppose the 
 two to belong to the same bird. The male 
 bird assists the hen in performing the office of 
 incubation, and relieves the monotony of his 
 occupation by singing, and thus often betrays 
 a well-concealed nest. 
 
 GARDEN WARBLER.-? C^'/T&ctf hortensis. 
 
 PLATE IX. PIG. 1. 
 
 THE nest and eggs of this bird so closely 
 resemble that of the preceding, that one figure 
 and description might answer for both. I have 
 not however observed that the Garden Warbler 
 ever lays eggs of a pink hue. 
 
 WHITETHROAT. Curruca cinerea. 
 
 PLATE XXI. PIG. 3. 
 
 IN many parts of the country this bird is 
 best known by the name of Nettle Creeper, 
 
240 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 from its habit of frequenting hedges, and the 
 sides of fields overgrown with brambles, nettles, 
 and other such coarse herbage. In such situa- 
 tions it builds its nest, raised from two to 
 three feet above the ground, and constructed 
 of dry stems of herbs and bents, mixed with 
 spiders' webs, cotton from the willow, and bits 
 of wool, and with fine grass and horse-hair. 
 The eggs are usually five, three quarters of an 
 inch long, and about ] m &an inch broad, of a 
 dull green hue, mottled and spotted with several 
 shades of olive. The short conversational song 
 of the male in the breeding season, as he rises 
 from the top of a bush a few feet into the air 
 and alights on some neighbouring bush, is very 
 remarkable. 
 
 SEDGE WARBLER. Salicaria Phragmitis. 
 
 PLATE XXI. FIG. 2. 
 
 DURING the whole of its stay with us, from 
 April to September, this bird frequents the 
 banks of rivers, especially such as are lined with 
 reeds, flags, or low willows. He is a most perse- 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 241 
 
 vering songster, and especially exerts himself 
 when any one intrudes on his domain, flying 
 from one reedy thicket to another, and continu- 
 ing his song till late at night. The nest is usually 
 placed among brambles, thorns, or other bushes, 
 at no great distance from the river's bank. 
 It is constructed of dry stalks, moss, and grass, 
 and lined with hair, and small in proportion to 
 the size of the bird, but unusually deep. The 
 eggs, from four to six in number, are little 
 more than half an inch in length, and vary 
 greatly in width, being sometimes nearly or- 
 bicular; the ground colour is light greenish 
 brown, and the markings are not unlike those 
 of the whitethroat, light olive brown. 
 SKYLARK. Alauda arvensis. 
 PLATE XIX. EIG. 2. 
 
 WHO is there that does not know the name 
 and something of the habits of the bird that soars 
 highest, sings loudest and longest, never alights 
 on a tree, and builds its nest on the ground? 
 Who has not peered intently into the blue vault 
 
242 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 of heaven, and watched the vocal speck in the 
 firmament, wheeling aloft in airy circles, flut- 
 tering with untired wing, and, the symphony 
 ended 
 
 " Sinking like an arrow to his humble home ! 
 The dasied lea he loves, where tufts of .grass 
 Luxuriant crown the ridge ; there, with his mate, 
 He founds his lowly house of wither'd bents 
 And coarsest spear-grass ; next the inner work 
 With finer, and still finer fibres lays, 
 Rounding it curious with his speckled breast." 
 
 Numerous as the nests of these birds must 
 be, and placed where one would imagine 
 them to be easily detected, they are not often 
 found, except by haymakers and other persons 
 actually employed in the fields, owing, per- 
 haps, partly to the thickness of the herbage 
 at the season of incubation, and partly to the 
 closeness with which the female bird sits on 
 her eggs. Mr. Blyth mentions an instance in 
 which "some mowers actually shaved off the 
 upper part of the nest of a skylark, without 
 injuring the female, who was sitting on her 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 243 
 
 young; still she did not fly away, and the 
 mowers levelled the grass all round her without 
 her taking further notice of their proceedings. 
 A young friend of mine, son of the owner of 
 the crop, witnessed this, and about an hour 
 afterwards went to see if she was safe, when, 
 to his great surprise, he found that she had 
 actually constructed a dome of dry grass over 
 the nest during the interval, leaving an aper- 
 ture on one side for ingress and egress, thus 
 endeavouring to secure a continuance of the 
 shelter previously supplied by the long grass." 
 Two or three instances are recorded of the sky- 
 lark removing its eggs, and even its young, in 
 time of danger. The eggs, four or five in 
 number, are of a light greenish ground, mottled 
 all over with ash brown, varying greatly in 
 deepness of shade in different specimens ; not 
 unfrequently the markings are wanting, when 
 the egg appears of a uniform greenish brown. 
 Both nest and eggs of the Woodlark (Alauda 
 arbored) are very similar to those of the skylark. 
 E 2 
 
244 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 EGGS VARIOUS. 
 
 LAPWING. Vanellus cristatus. 
 PLATE XXII. EIG. 1. 
 
 THE eggs of this bird are so diligently sought 
 for as an article of luxury, or rather display, 
 for the tables of the wealthy, (for, in reality, 
 there is nothing particularly delicious in their 
 flavour,) that it is almost a wonder that Lap- 
 wings have not been long ago extinct. The 
 affection of this bird for its young is very 
 remarkable, and deserves a better fate. It 
 makes a very slight nest, little more, indeed, 
 than a few dry bents collected in a hole in the 
 ground ; and here it lays four eggs, about two 
 inches long, of a deep olive-coloured ground, 
 blotched and spotted with black. The female 
 
Jrfcl * 
 
 ,i ,* y - v 
 
 y5^ 
 
 ifei^.^ 
 
 j ^ 
 
BIRDS' NESTS. 245 
 
 bird, when disturbed, runs along the ground, 
 and then flies for a short distance with a 
 shuffling movement, as if wounded. Mean- 
 while, the male bird flies round the head of 
 the intruder with a peculiarly irregular flapping 
 of the wings, both seemingly endeavouring to 
 divert his attention from the nest. So lucra- 
 tive, however, is the traffic in plovers 3 eggs, 
 that the persons who partially gain their live- 
 lihood by collecting and selling them, study 
 the instinctive efforts of the birds, and by 
 practice are enabled to interpret their move- 
 ments so accurately, as to guess not only the 
 exact position of the nest, but the number of 
 eggs which it contains. 
 
 NIGHT JAR,. Caprimulgus Europceus. 
 PLATE XXII. FIG. 3. 
 
 THE Night Jar, Goatsucker, or Fern Owl, 
 builds no nest, but lays two eggs on the bare 
 ground, sometimes under the shelter of a 
 
246 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 bush, but very frequently on a dry exposed 
 common, or on a rock. The eggs are very 
 beautiful, white, mottled, and veined with 
 bluish grey, and having somewhat the appear- 
 ance of marble. 
 
 TREE PIPIT. Anthus arboren*. 
 
 PlATE X.X. IlGS. 1 AND 2. 
 
 THE nest of the Tree Pipit is constructed of 
 moss and dry grass, and lined with fine bents 
 and hair, and is always placed on the ground, 
 either on the skirt of a wood, or in the open 
 glade of a grove. The eggs vary so much in 
 colour and marking, as almost to defy de- 
 scription. Accurate representations of the 
 principal varieties are given in the plate. The 
 Meadow Pipit (Plate XIX. Figs. 1 and .2) and 
 Shore Pipit construct nests very like that 
 of the Tree Pipit, the former in the open 
 country, the latter in the neighbourhood of the 
 sea-shore. The eggs, from four to six in num- 
 
BIRDS' XE> 247 
 
 ber, are reddish brown, spotted and mottled 
 with a deeper tint of the same colour. 
 
 GOLDEN-CRESTED WllEX. Regill' ' ' .!S. 
 
 PLATE XXI. TIG. 1. 
 
 As this exquisite little bird, by its minute 
 size and rich colouring, suggests the idea of 
 the humming birds of the tropics, so its nest, 
 as elegant and symmetrical as itsolf. is no 
 less worthy of being preserved under a glass 
 dome than the tiny specimens of bird archi- 
 tecture which are among the choicest orna- 
 ments of our museums. (See page 39.) In 
 form it resembles a deep cup contracted at 
 the mouth, and is constructed of fine moss 
 skilfully interwoven, and thickly lined with 
 feathers. Its usual position is near the ex- 
 tremity of one of the lower branches of a 
 spruce or silver fir, with the needle-like leaves 
 of which the moss is curiously interwoven, 
 the architect skilfully contriving that it shall 
 
248 BIRDS' NESTS. 
 
 enjoy the shelter afforded by the branch next 
 above. The eggs are from six to ten, of a 
 delicate pink before they are blown; after- 
 wards cream-coloured, and faintly clouded 
 with light reddish brown. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 U. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL. 
 
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