274 EN'GLISH BIRD LIFE 



its small song, the last notes long drawn out; see 

 it later in the year feeding with the Chaffinches on 

 the dark fallow, or in the winter, wrangling with 

 the Sparrows in the stackyard, and one comes to 

 realize how closely bound up with every form of 

 British agriculture this little bird lias become. 



In the lower recesses of the hedgerow, often 

 nearly upon the ground, the nest, made of fine roots 

 and neatly lined with hair, is placed. The hairs are 

 mostly long and are cunningly wound round and 

 round, forming a smooth cup. In order to secure 

 these the Yellow-hammer again falls back upon his 

 friend the farmer. W^ell the bird knows every 

 shed and enclosure where the horses and cattle 

 shelter, and every post and tree-trunk against which 

 they rub. In the rugged bark wisps of hair may 

 be caught, and the Yellow-hammer returns to the 

 spot again and again, bearing them away, a strand 

 at a time. On this bed of toilfuUy-coUected material 

 the curious eggs are laid : of purplish-white covered 

 with finely drawn irregular black lines, which have 

 the appearance of cryptic characters inscribed upon 

 the shell. 



Not unfrequently about the corn-lands or in the 

 mowing-grass a heavy bird, not unlike an over- 

 grown sparrow, may be noted. As it crosses the 

 field it displays nothing of the Yellow-hammer's 

 ease and buoyancy in flight; on the contrary, it 

 moves in a straight line, with hanging legs and 

 with wings which appear with difficulty to support 

 its weight. It alights with a harsh tittering cry 

 upon a stem of angelica which stands clear of the 



