birds' nests. 145 



Wheatear, which so much resembles them, goes underground in rough 

 fallows, and, Jike all birds who have this habit, uses very little skill in 

 making his house, but deposits his six light grey eggs in the midst of 

 loose sedge, and a few feathers occasionally. The Chats are very secret 

 in their proceedings, and have a long passage underneath the herbage; their 

 eggs are likewise bluish, with dark ends. 



The Linnet's nest I look upon as one of the prettiest possible objects; it 

 is very often built on the top of a tuft of herbage, with the overhanging 

 branch of some small tree to shadow and protect it; it is of a size suited 

 to so small a bird, and rather shallow, formed of a mass of roots, small 

 grasses, and moss, and lined with wool; the dark, elegant, and unstudied 

 outline forms a kind of fringe of moss, next the white interior, and with the 

 dear little red-speckled delicate eggs, makes quite a picture. The first I 

 ever saw, I well remember, struck me with great admiration, and I have 

 never forgotten it. 



There are many birds, including the Woodpeckers, which take holes in 

 trees or buildings for their nesting-places; most of these are of the order 

 of Creepers, such as the common Tree Creeper, Nuthatch, or Blue Creeper, 

 the Wryneck or Pea- bird, etc., all the Woodpeckers, and these, with one 

 exception — the Nuthatch — lay white eggs and use light materials, such as 

 roots, moss, down, and feathers, for their nests, which, from their guarded 

 position, only require to be a protection for the eggs against the hard 

 parts of the tree; hollows in trees, however, generally contain a bed of 

 natural chips and dust, the work of time, from the internal decay, and 

 insects which have made the crannies their habitation. These are generally 

 formed first by the breaking or cutting off of some branch near the body, 

 or a natural exterior defect; this becomes a receptacle of moisture, which 

 rots the surrounding wood, and in the course of years eats deeply into the 

 tree, sometimes to a great depth before it becomes a cavity. Such defective 

 trees are eagerly sought for by Woodpeckers, who, although, they possess 

 (considering their powers) wonderful methods of boring, seldom attack wood 

 in which there is not some latent defect. The holes which they bore are 

 very curious, and as regular as if made by a large augur or centre-bit, 

 and so small for the size of the bird, that it is a matter of wonder how 

 he obtains ingress. 



Besides the Creepers, there are several birds which build in hollow trees; 

 thus the Common Flycatcher, the Redbreast, the Starling, the Owl, and 

 even some of the Hawks, use such situations. The Flycatcher builds rather 

 a careless nest of roots, chiefly mixed with wool and lichens, and lays five 

 or six dull red speckled eggs; her usual place for building, however, is 

 a part of some out-building, or cornices, porches, creepers, or houses. The 

 Redbreast usually builds on the ground, that is, in some bank or heap of 



