MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. • 285 



The House Sparrow, {Passer domesticus,) sometimes builds its nest in trees, 

 althougli many little snug holes and corners in old buildings may be close 

 at hand; however, when this whim induces him to construct the large oval- 

 shaped nest, rather flat at the top, it is composed of hay, lined with feathers, 

 in such profusion that a pillow might soon be stuffed with the contents of 

 a few. I have invariably found them in the thick part of a holly in 

 preference to any other tree, indeed I never found them in any other in 

 this locality, (Pannal.) It is generally built about eight feet from the ground, 

 often near road-sides and footpaths much frequented: the little fellow seems 

 to place great confidence in his stronghold, l^he entrance, a little hole in 

 the side, is generally fronting the south. A farmer had dislodged a couple 

 of Sparrows which had built under a spout, and after taking the nest and 

 eggs, he stopped up the hole with mortar. You would naturally suppose 

 they would forsake this locality after such a sorrowful proceeding; but nothing 

 disconsolate, they soon fixed upon a new site — ^^a fine holly bush was close 

 at hand — a nest was constructed, and a family reared in safety. Who can but 

 admire the perseverance displayed under such adverse circumstances? Such 

 little examples may be of profit even to ourselves. A' singularly-coloured 

 Sparrow was observed a short time ago at Sheepscar, near Leeds; it possessed 

 the common characteristics, excepting the primaries and tail, which were 

 white. — J. Dixon, 7, Copenhagen-Street, Leeds, October 11th., 1851. 



Early nesting of the Thrush, (Turdus musicus.) — There was a nest with 

 four young Thrushes fully fledged, in the beginning of February last, near 

 Winchester. — F. Hyde D'Arcy, Lymington, Hants., September 20th., 1851. 



Yew Fruit, (Taxus baccata.) — I can confirm the statement as set forth 

 in page 74 of "The Naturalist," by Mr. Mc'Intosh, of the innocuous 

 property of the Yew Fruit, as I have partaken of it myself, and have seen 

 numbers of others eat it without experiencing the least ill effects. In a 

 garden adjoining our premises is a Yew tree, to which, during the winter, 

 several Thrushes and Blackbirds come to eat the berries so long as they 

 last; the stones or seeds passing through them undigested, in consequence 

 of the hard shell round them, lie at the bottom of the tree until the 

 following spring, when there invariably comes a Nuthatch or two to par- 

 take of the seeds which have passed through the Thrushes, etc., during 

 the winter. I have noticed the little fellow many a time, fly down and 

 bring a seed up in his beak, and place it in a crevice on the top of a 

 wooden post in the garden, then hammer away at it with all his might, 

 until he succeeded in splitting it in two, when he would eat the kernel, 

 then fly down for more until satisfied. The post mentioned above having 

 been used a mimber of years, and being partly decayed, is completely studded 

 all over with the empty shells of the Yew, which have been driven so firmly 

 in as to remain there until they decay. The Hawfinch also partakes of the 

 seeds of the Holly and Hawthorn which have passed through the Thrushes, 



