34 Singular Nidification in Birds. 



tion, the bird all the while sitting within it, upon its nest, 

 which it made no attempt to quit, but merely gave signs of 

 anger by frequently bristling up its wings and feathers, and 

 by hissing. As a proof, if further proof were needed, how 

 much " the natural timidity of birds is lessened during incuba- 

 tion *," I may mention, that the tomtit had (as I was informed) 

 suffered itself to be carried in its wicker habitation about the 

 village (Leamington at that period was only a small country 

 village), and exhibited to the visiters. 



At Knowle Hall, Warwickshire, a wren (Troglodytes 

 europae v us) built its nest in the skeleton body of a heron 

 which had been nailed up against a wall, and formed part of 

 what has been facetiously called, " the countryman's museum." 

 And I have heard of a bird of the same species, which, for 

 three successive years, selected for the purpose an old garden 

 watering-can. 



The redstart (Sylvia Phcenicurus) is another bird which 

 occasionally makes choice of odd places for nidification. 

 (See Vol. V. p. 572.) At Springfield House, Warwickshire, 



a pair of redstarts once 

 built under an inverted 

 garden pot (JZg*6.)-f, acci- 

 dentally left on a gravel 

 walk, and, of course, enter- 

 ed their habitation from 

 above, at the drain hole. 

 The nest attracted atten- 

 tion, and was watched daily, 

 as it became an object of 

 interest in the family to 

 ascertain when and by what 

 means the young birds 

 would emerge from under the pot, and make their debut. 

 How long they might have continued in confinement, if left 



* See, Vol. IT. p. 63., a notice of the blue titmouse building in an old 

 pump, and suffering a part of its tail to be rubbed off by the friction of the 

 pump-handle. Also Vol. V. p. 656, 657.; and Mr. Dovaston's account of 

 the greater titmouse which built in a similar situation, Vol. V. p. 660. 

 The groove or interstice in which the pump-handle works appears to offer 

 great temptation to birds of this genus. An instance occurred, within 

 these few years, in this village, of a tomtit (I am uncertain which species) 

 selecting a pump-handle for its nest. 



•J- The large titmouse (Parus major) sometimes makes choice of the 

 same convenience. ( See Vol. V. p. 289.) 



The following appeared in a London paper, extracted from the Preston 

 Chronicle: — " In a garden belonging to Edward Clayton, Esq., Bamber- 

 bridge, near this town, a flower-pot was turned down over a tender plant, in 

 the early part of the spring, to succour it from the inclemency of the 

 weather : a few weeks ago it was removed, and placed in the same in 



