PERCHING BIRDS. 57 
and I have a record in my notebook of finding a thrush 
sitting on five eggs on Feb. 22, 1859. The season was 
particularly mild and open, and many other birds were 
equally early in their nesting. A singular occupation 
of a thrush’s nest by other species occurred a few miles 
from us in 1846. A pair of thrushes built their nest in 
some ivy on the mansion of Mr. Simpson of Babworth, 
and notwithstanding the spot they had chosen was close 
‘to the door, and that persons were constantly passing, 
they reared in safety four young ones, who duly took 
their flight. Immediately on their departure a pair of 
blackbirds took possession, and after effecting a few re- 
pairs the female laid her eggs, which she hatched, and 
the young safely left their birthplace. No sooner was 
this done than a couple of spotted flycatchers became 
the tenants of the domicile, but not contented with its 
condition they built one of their own nests within it; 
five eggs were laid and hatched, and thus a third brood 
was successfully reared in the same nest. 
Though such attractive denizens of our woods, they 
are sadly destructive to the fruit in our gardens, and in 
an hour will strip a large currant bush of the whole of 
its crop; indeed, during one summer they, in conjunc- 
tion with blackbirds, frequented my garden in such 
numbers as to make serious inroads on my fruit. De- 
fensive measures were in vain; nothing in the shape 
of whirligigs or scarecrows had any effect, for their 
numbers did not appear to be at all diminished; “the 
cry was still, they come,” and only when the fruit was 
gathered and devoured together did they cease their 
visits. I believe half my crop of gooseberries and cur- 
rants, which that year was unusually heavy, was eaten 
by them. 
