Their Eggs and Nests, 129 



bird itself to the eyes corresponding to the said ears. 

 It is a shy bird, seldom seen far from its haunts in 

 woods and copses, though when seen, it is noticeable 

 enough from a certain peculiarity in its flight, due to a 

 sort of fluttering use or motion of its wings. It is easily 

 domesticated, and becomes a tame and amusing pet. 

 The nest is very often extremely rude and inartificial, 

 almost as much so as the Ring Dove's. It is placed in 

 the upper part of a lofty bush in a wood, or on some 

 one of the lateral branches of a tree where the height 

 from the ground is considerable ; is made of sticks and 

 lined with roots ; the cavity containing the eggs often 

 seeming to be not very considerable. Now and then 

 a nest is met with carefully and strongly compacted, 

 and sufficiently cup-shaped. The Jay lays five or six 

 eggs of a faint shade of dusky green for ground 

 colour, closely and thickly freckled all over with 

 light brown. — Fig. 9, plate V. 



^JJT-CRACKER-^(Nud/raga carfocatactes). 



A bird which has probably been met with less than 

 a score of times in all in this country. 



FAMILY XXI.— HIRUNDINIDiE. 



S\Y ALLOW— (Hirundo rustica). 



Common Swallow, House Swallow, Chimney Swallow, 

 Barn Swallow. — One of the most welcome of all our 



