74 Transactions of the 



in the sand, generally about two feet in length, though I have 

 frequently found nests of much greater length. 



Another of our elegant summer visitors is the flycatcher. Of 

 it there are two varieties, the pied flycatcher, and spotted or com- 

 mon flycatcher — the former being excessively rare and seldom seen, 

 although this year I have heard more instances of its occurrence 

 than I ever remember to have heard before. The common fly- 

 catcher, however, is frequently seen here, especially on this side of 

 the river. It is very amusing to watch it wlien in pursuit of 

 insects. It then seems almost to be lifeless, perched on a rail or 

 the top of a stake, but all of a sudden it darts oS" in a zig-zag course 

 after some winged insect, and soon returns again to the same spot, 

 having effected its capture. The nest is placed in various places, 

 a tree or hole in a wall being the favourite positions, and very 

 little care is taken to conceal it. 



I will now pass on to the finch tribe, — viz., goldfinch, yellow- 

 hammer, greenfinch, chaffinch, and bullfinch. All these birds 

 are more or less common in Clifton — the goldfinch is much less 

 frequently seen here than elsewhere. This bird is one of the 

 prettiest of our English birds, and is a deserved favourite, having 

 not only a gay exterior, but also docility of habit and a beautiful 

 song. I have only once seen it on the Clifton side of the river. 

 Its favourite resorts are tracts of uncultivated land, on which it 

 generally finds a quantity of wild seed-bearing plants, of which 

 the thistle is its especial favourite. 



The chaffinch and greenfinch are familiar to everybody, and 

 therefore need little description. A curious fact respecting the 

 former of these birds is the partial emigration which takes place 

 in winter, and the separation of the males and females. Its nest 

 also is the most wonderful of any of our British birds', and hardly 

 surpassed in curious structure by any other. It is placed on a 

 tree or thick shrub (very often on the apple), and is constructed 

 by the female bird alone. I read the other day of a very curious 

 place selected for the nest, namely, the skeleton of a jackdcav sus- 

 pended on a tree w^th the wings outstretched. It was found in a 

 garden in Kent. The nest is so well adapted to the colour of the 

 surrounding objects that it almost defies detection. 



The bullfinch is by no means a common bird in CHfton, but I 

 have been informed that it is frequently met with at some distance 

 over the river. It is a bird of retired habits, and hardly ever seen 

 in barren districts. 



The titmouse family is a most interesting one, and five species 

 out of six found in England are very common here — namely, great- 

 tit, blue-tit, cole-tit, marsh-tit, long-tailed-tit. All these are of 



