CHAPTER OF VARIETIES. 



impediment ; or did it find that the egg-shell, when it had eaten the 

 contents, formed as warm and as commodious a berth as any which it 

 could have spun ; from which circumstance it resolved to adopt it, and 

 save itself the trouble of constructing a new one, which, by-the-by, 

 would not have had the advantage of being defended by so hard an 

 exterior ? Is it not also a singular coincidence that this fly should be 

 an egg-parasite, and also a grub-parasite ? When I found the spider's 

 eggs I was unaware how long she had lain previous to my discovering 

 them in August*, but they were hatched a few days after, and thus we 

 see from the two instances that there are two broods of these flies in the 

 course of the year, the .one appearing in May, and the latter in August, 

 but whether the same parent is double brooded or otherwise, I know 

 not. 



London, May, 1833. SOLITABIUS. 



NEST OF A CHAFFINCH AND OF A REDBREAST. I am led by 

 Ruricola's account of a " redbreast's nest situated in a window," to 

 address to you a line or two, detailing in my opinion an equally rare 

 and interesting occurrence. Had I not met with his communication 

 in your Magazine, I should not have thought of troubling you with 

 what I considered unworthy of notice, except by a mere beginner like 

 myself. 



Immediately under, or rather in front of our sitting-room window, 

 grows a strawberry-tree (Arbutus unedci), the branches of which nearly 

 project into the room when the sash is thrown up. Upon a forked 

 stem of this shrub, within reach from the open window, a pair of chaf- 

 finches built their nest, and having lately turned my attention to 

 Natural History, I was an interested observer of their operations. 

 The foundation of this beautiful nest was laid on the 12th April, and 

 the first egg was deposited on the 2nd May : thus, by unwearied dili- 

 gence was the beautiful structure finished in three weeks it was 

 really an elegant and compact habitation. On each succeeding day 

 during the next four another egg was deposited : and I found on the 

 15th, that the whole five were hatched. Was not the time of incu- 

 bation very short ? Had the hot weather which we had at this time 

 any effect in bringing out the young sooner than usual ? 



But I wish more especially to direct your attention (and that of 

 your readers should you deem this worthy of a place in the Field 



* Stated April" by mistake at page 180. 



