Some Remarkable Nests and Eggs. 39 



their third nesting-hole in an old tree at great 

 labour and pains. Their two previous homes had 

 been stolen, and were then in the possession of four 

 iridescent thieves. But worse remained to follow. 

 After the Woodpeckers had been at work for the 

 best part of a fortnight, another pair of Starlings 

 c.ime along and impudently robbed the poor birds 

 of their new home before they had had an oppor- 

 tunity of using it ! 



As an indication of the demand for breeding 

 apartments in hollow trees, I v>nll mention the 

 case of a hole in an old apple tree. It was 

 tenanted one year by a pair of Starlings, the 

 next by House Sparrows, and the third by Great 

 Tits. 



Sparrow^s have a bad habit of stealing House 

 Martins' nests, and, in order to accomplish their 

 wicked ends, will, upon occasion, even turn the 

 eggs of the rightful owner out and smash them. 

 Indeed, I have known the little ruffians do this 

 with each other's eggs wdien engaged in a noisy 

 family squabble over the ownership of a box nailed 

 up against a bedroom window for the encouragement 

 of this impudent and aggressive species of our 

 streets, which seems little in need of helj) from any 

 quarter. Besides robbing House Martins of their 

 wee homes of mud under our eaves, Sparrows steal 

 the nesting holes dug in banks by Sand Martins, 

 those hewn by Lesser Spotted \yoodpeckers m trees, 

 and even the abodes prej)ared by Nuthatches, wdiich 



