BLACKBIRDS, NIGHTINGALES, ETC. 329 



the one bird of a pair had thought the place unsuit- 

 able on account of the stone, and not allowed the 

 other to work there. Thus delicately are matrimonial 

 teachings conveyed amongst birds. Not one unkind 

 word did I hear upon either side." 



" Whilst watching these sand-martins, a pretty little 

 quadrupedal picture was also presented to me. A 

 rabbit, the mother of three, came with them all from 

 her burrow, which was near the top of the pit where 

 it joined the fields on one side, and couched there, 

 delicately, in the morning sunshine. The young ones 

 flung themselves, all three, on their backs, and, 

 wedging themselves under her, two of them took their 

 breakfast in this position. The third one, however, 

 having tried in vain to get properly under her chest, 

 made a detour, and then took her in the flank in 

 ordinary formation, and with successful results. To 

 see this with the warm, bright sand as a background, 

 and the swallows flying round ! Lying dozing in the 

 morning one may have pretty dreams, but they are 

 not often prettier than this. Blue sky, too, though 

 it is England, and in the depth of spring ! " 



I have spoken of blackbirds bringing materials 

 thirty-one times to the nest in the course of three 

 hours, but this is very slow work, and would be, even 

 if both birds were to bring them instead of only one. 

 Comparatively, I mean, and the bird that I am taking 

 as a standard of comparison is the great crested grebe. 

 In fifty minutes a pair of these that I watched had 

 brought between them one hundred cargoes of weed, 

 some so large that the head of the bird carrying them 

 was almost hidden, and some trailing on the water 

 for a considerable way behind. Each bird dives and 



