34 



I once saw a nest built in a wooden shed in High Stand plantation, 

 where they were sawing timber ; the nest was about three inches 

 above the man's head who was attending the engine, yel the bird sat 

 quite still and incubated her eggs. This nest was the prettiest I 

 have ever seen of this bird ; the outside was built of the fronds of 

 the common bracken, and was beautifully lined with the feathers 

 of the pheasant, and the pure white feathers of barn-door fowls. 

 The male bird is very fussy when you approach too near to the nest, 

 complaining with a querulous note. He is very attentive to the 

 female while sitting, and sometimes feeds her while on the nest. 

 I have watched the male bird with a caterpillar in his mouth to 

 feed her with, but he would not go near till I had removed a 

 considerable distance, and then I watched him through the field 

 glass. The nest is generally loosely constructed, and is formed 

 of moss and dried stalks of grass, and is lined with feathers, and 

 sometimes a little hair. The eggs generally number six, although 

 I have found them with seven and eight ; they are of a light blue 

 colour, elegant in shape, but very fragile. The food of these birds 

 consists of insects, caterpillars, beetles, worms, and various fruits. 

 From its song, together with its light, elegant shape, its varied 

 plumage, and its graceful motions, it may be considered one of 

 the most interesting of our summer visitors. You need not go far 

 from here to observe this bird; in the first or second week in 

 April, if you take a walk round the Castle Bank, you are sure to 

 see him, either on the castle wall or on the trees skirting the foot- 

 path. 



The Wood Warbler. 



In my previous paper I have already spoken about the Willow 

 Wren and the Chiff Chaff, and now I am going to introduce to 

 you their cousin, if I may term him so, I mean the Wood Warbler 

 {Sylvia sylvicola). I may state that these three birds resemble 

 each other so closely in size, habits, and nesting (although their 

 songs are different), that except to the practical ornithologist, they 

 may easily be confounded with each other. In this district you 

 may look out for him about the 27th of April. I never see or 



