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Rev. F. L. Blathwayt,



shewed that they were dissatisfied. I placed a little conical

rush nest by the side of the box, and in this they built a tiny

nest. The first egg was laid on the iStli November. They had

behaved so steadily, and in such a businsss-like way, that, if

they had been left undisturbed, doubtless they would have done

their best to reproduce their kind. But here the disadvantages

under which the aviculturist with very limited accommodation

labours stepped in and upset everything. Theirs is the only

cage I have in which to winter my best Foreign Finches ; I had

left the latter as long as I dared in the garden, but soon they

flooded the Waxbills’ cage and overwhelmed the nest.



RAMBLES AMONG THE WILD BIRDS (No. II.)


By the Rev. F. L. Blathwayt.


A VISIT TO THE FARNE ISLANDS.


“ The myriad shriek of wheeling ocean-fowl.”


June 23rd, 189S, will always be a red-letter day in my

memory, for it was on that day that I was able to pay a long-

wished-for visit to the Fame Islands, those famous nurseries of

many kinds of sea-fowl.


The Oxford term was just over, and all thoughts of

‘ Mods ’ and ‘ Greats ’ were banished to the winds, as, on the

evening of June 22nd, I found myself, with my brother and two

college friends, on the platform of the little station of Chathill,

near the coast of Northumberland.


A drive of a few miles, during which the lights on the

Fames could be seen twinkling in the distance, brought us to

the little village of Sea Houses, where we were to stay 7 for the

night. As soon as we entered the Inn we felt we were already 7

among the birds. The walls of the little parlour were decorated

with photographs of the islands and their feathered inhabitants,

while stuffed Gulls and Guillemots and cases of birds’ eggs

reminded us that we were near one of the most famous breeding

haunts of our British sea-birds. We made arrangements with



