194 11777/ XATVllE J XD A CAMEllA. 



in the utmost peace and liannony. Tlie birds went 

 down the trunk and tlie bees u}) it. 



Birds of entirely different species sometimes 

 sliare the same nest, and yet live and go about 

 their business in perfect amity. 



A few years ago I watched a })air of Rooks 

 and a pair of House Sparrows, close to the Priory 

 Eoad, Hornsey, feeding their young at the same 

 time and at the same nest. The latter birds occu- 

 pied the basement, having taken up their quarters 

 amongst the sticks forming the foundation of the 

 Rooks' nest. 



In 1895 a pair of Starlings made their home and 

 successfully reared their young amongst the sticks 

 forming the Ospreys' eyrie shown in oui- illustration. 



The picture was obtained in the Highlands of 

 Hcotlaiul during a scorching hot da\' in the 

 droughty sunnner of 189(3, and represents the nest 

 and adult birds of one of the two or three pairs of 

 Ospreys now said to Ijreed in the British Isles. 



Whilst my brother was preparing to make a 

 study of the eyrie and its builders perched on the 

 dead tree tops from an adjoining island, the female, 

 as if afraid tlie hot sunshine would do some hai'in 

 to her exposed v^^^^j:^, ])lunged headlong into the 

 loch, and, rising, sliook her dri])ping wings over 

 them, after which she (piietly r(\sumed her favourite 

 })erch. 



As a gratifNiug iiidictition of th(^ increasing- 

 interest tak(>n ill natural liistorN' by the peoi)le at 

 large, hardly a week passes in the springtinn* with- 

 out the newspapers recording a curious nesting- 

 ])lace chosen 1»\- soin(> l)ir(l. Ivoltin Ivedbreasts 

 naturall\' come in for a hirge share of journalistic 

 attention, and I am constantlx' having cuttings sent 

 me ])}■ friends who know I stiuh' tlie subject. 



