NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. I51 
The flycatcher of the “Zoology” (the Stofarola of Ray),* 
builds every year in the vines that grow on the walls of my 
house. A pair of these little birds had one year inadvertently 
placed their nest on a naked bough, perhaps in a shady time, 
not being aware of the inconvenience that followed. But an 
hot sunny season coming on before the brood was half-fledged, the 
reflection of the wall became insupportable, and must inevitably 
have destroyed the tender young, had not affection suggested 
an expedient, and prompted the parent-birds to hover over the 
nest all the hotter hours, while with wings expanded, and mouths 
gaping for breath, they screened off the heat from their suffering 
offspring. 
SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. 
A farther instance I once saw of notable sagacity in a willow- 
wren, which had built in a bank in my fields. This bird a friend 
and myself had observed as she sat in her nest; but were 
particularly careful not to disturb her, though we saw she eyed 
us with some degree of jealousy. Some days after as we passed 
that way we were desirous of remarking how this brood went on ; 
but no nest could be found, till I happened to take up a large 
bundle of long green moss, as it were, carelessly thrown over the 
nest in order to dodge the eye of any impertinent intruder. 
A still more remarkable mixture of sagacity and _ instinct 
occurred to me one day as my people were pulling off the lining of 
* Muscicapa grisola. 
