130 Stone-chat 



feather in his bill on March 23rd, showing that the finishing touches 

 were then being made to the interior of the nest. 



3. Nest and four eggs ; very small whin ; Aldringham common, 

 April 2ist, 1892. Eggs much incubated. This nest was close to the 

 " Aldringham Square," not more than a couple of yards from the 

 public road and a footpath (a " poor " common). 



4. Nest and four nestlings ; small squat whin-bush ; " poor '" 

 common, near the second Thorpe railway-crossing, April 23rd, 

 1892 ; within five yards of the path, and twenty yards of every 

 passing train. 



These nestlings were then about two days old. They all 

 remained in the nest till May 6th. On May 5tli I took one out, and 

 found it almost fully-fledged and able to fly a little. It seemed 

 quite as big as the parents. It is remarkable that four birds of such 

 a size could have remained in so small a nest. Had there been five 

 or six nestlings, it seems certain that they must have been turned 

 out earlier, unless the internal dimensions of the nest were greatly 

 enlarged. Possibly the future expansion is allowed for by the 

 builders, but the difference in the space required for six small eggs 

 and six full-grown birds as large as their parents, is enormous. It 

 is a fresh proof of the skill of the architect that the walls should be 

 sufficiently elastic to bear the strain. On May 7th there were only 

 two birds in the nest, and one of these fluttered out and down to 

 the bottom of the whin-bush, at my approach. Supposing these 

 eggs were hatched on April 21st, and the young remained in the nest 

 till May 6th, that would give fifteen days as the period during which 

 they stayed in the nest and depended entirely on their parents for 

 food. Probably the parents would continue to contribute the larger 

 portion of their food for another ten days, after the}' were out of 

 the nest, bringing the date to May i6th. Subsequently, the young 

 birds could look after themselves, and the parents would be free to 

 build a fresh nest. 



5. Nest and five eggs ; small whin-bush ; Sizewell Common 

 (a "poor" common), April 23rd, 1892; eggs fresh. The whin-bush 

 was in a corner between two roads, one a public one and much 

 frequented. 



6. Nest and four nestlings; small whin-bush; "Parsons 

 Common," Aldringham (a " poor " common), April 26th, 1892. 

 Bush not far from road. 



7. Nest and four eggs ; small whin-bush ; Dunwich Common, 

 April 29th, 1892. Eggs much incubated. Nest close to road. 



8. Nest with two nestlings and three eggs ; a rather larger 

 whin-bush, and not very close to any public path ; Westleton 

 Common, April 29th, 1892. 



9. Nest and six eggs ; small whin-bush ; Aldringham Common 

 (a "poor" common); eggs fresh, May 5th, 1892. I have every 



