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and hatch their second. One that had built its nest in a pear-tree 

 against a garden wall, has been known to try to conceal it by 

 drawing the leaves of the tree over it. But the most curious 

 instances of caprice in this matter, are those of two pairs of birds 

 which selected street lamp-posts for the purposes of nidification. 

 One of these is mentioned by Atkinson as having occurred at 

 Leeds; the nest was built in the angle of a lamp-post, and 

 the parents succeeded in rearing their young. In the other 

 instance, the nest was made in the ornamental crown on the top 

 of one of the lamps in Portland Place ; it contained five eggs, 

 which had been sat upon ; and Mr. Yarrel states that he saw the 

 nest in its curious receptacle at the Office of Woods and Forests. 

 In "Science Gossip," a gentlemen mentions, a pair of Spotted 

 Flycatchers who built their nest on the capital of a column 

 supporting the portico of his house. He and his family had been 

 much interested in watching the proceedings of these pretty and 

 interesting birds. Judge of his dismay, when sitting out under a 

 tree near, he observed the hen bird and the nest descend to earth 

 and both execute marvellous gyrations thereon. His son easily 

 caught the bird, with nest attached, when the the cause of this 

 domestic calamity became manifest. A woman has been, by 

 misogynous old bachelors, said to be at the bottom of all mischief. 

 It proved so in this case, for having used a woman's long hair in 

 the construction of her nest, the little bird had got its head and 

 neck through a loop of the said hair, and, on attempting to leave 

 her nest, had brought both herself and it and the five eggs to 

 grief I could fill a volume with anecdotes of this bird, but will 

 conclude with a charming instance of parental affection displayed 

 by a pair of Spotted Flycatchers. A pair of these httle birds had 

 one year inadvertently built their nest on a naked bough, perhaps 

 in a shady time, not being aware of the inconvenience that followed; 

 but a 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 hoUer hours, while, with wings expanded and mouths 



