266 Mr. W. II. Simpson's Narrative 



had been clinging, and to fly towards the far corner of the 

 square, where he uttered a single warning cry and disappeared. 

 It took us a very short time to cross the remaining space in the 

 direction he had gone, and it became speedily manifest that one 

 object of our journey was attained. We had found the " Bo " 

 without any difficulty on the skirts of the clearing, where the 

 ground was depressed somewhat below the general level ; and 

 not far from the edge of a marsh there stood the remains of an 

 ancient birch some 30 feet in height, and slightly overhanging to- 

 wards the opening. Near the top on our side was a fresh hole ; but 

 what was more to the purpose, from out of that hole there peered 

 the unmistakeable head and bill of P. martins gazing at the party 

 without evincing much alarm. My first care was to prevent my 

 companion from blowing to pieces, at the trifling distance of ten 

 yards, that head so temptingly displayed before the muzzle of 

 his gun. This point gained, a tap from the woodman's axe 

 caused the bird to retreat; when we commenced operations, 

 pending which the old ones remained in the vicinity. Some- 

 times they would come within gunshot, and then, as if alarmed 

 at their own audacity, swing round to the other side of the tree 

 to which they might be clinging, poking so much of the head 

 forwards as to enable them to see what was going on. In this 

 position they would beat a rapid and angry tattoo upon the trees, 

 and occasionally utter, in addition to their ordinary cry, one of 

 the most peculiar notes I ever heard from any European bird, 

 and which more resembles the sharp and momentaiy ring of a 

 shrill-toned bell than any other sound with which lam acquainted. 

 We heard this note subsequently whilst operating upon another 

 nest ; but it appears not to be uttered except under great excite- 

 ment, and then, perhaps, only by the female. The entrance- 

 hole was within two feet of the top of the tree, which was easily 

 ascended, the bark being very coarse. On examining it I found 

 the edges much rougher than those of holes made by P. viridis, 

 the sides sloping slightly upwards towards the interior. In shape 

 it was elliptical, the horizontal being perhaps a fourth larger 

 than the perpendicular diameter. The roof of the cavity was 

 quite honeycombed by the strokes of the bird's bill; and this 

 peculiarity was noticed in the two nests subsequently discovered. 



