230 SYLVIAD.E. 



attached to it, was hanging on a peg over the fire-place and 

 just afforded space for the purpose, they built their first nest 

 early in the spring. The circumstance was observed, and 

 soon became an object of curiosity to the neighbours, many 

 of whom came to look at the nest : these inquisitive visits, 

 however, had not the effect of alarming the birds, who here 

 reared without accident their first brood. When the atten- 

 tion of the parents was no longer needed by their full-fledged 

 offspring, they set about providing for another family, and 

 built their second nest on a shelf on the opposite side of the 

 room close to an old mouse-trap. Here again they received 

 visits of inquiry from bipeds of a larger growth, and reared 

 and dismissed their progeny. This second brood had no 

 sooner left them, than they again betook themselves to the 

 task of building a third nest imder the same sheltering roof, 

 and for this purpose chose another shelf, in a different corner 

 of the same room ; and there, in their mossy bed, on a bun- 

 dle of papers, on the 21st of June, were four half-fledged 

 nestlings, which the hen was feeding while a party was 

 watching the proceeding, the cock bird contenting himself 

 with looking on from the outside. There was no doubt that 

 the same pair of birds belonged to each successive nest, as 

 the loss of her tail rendered the hen conspicuous. 



Mr. Blackwall of Manchester relates that " a pair of these 

 birds built their nest in a small saw-pit. Soon after the female 

 had begun to sit, the sawing of timber was commenced at 

 this pit ; and though the persons employed continued their 

 noisy occupation close to the nest every day during the 

 hatching of the eggs and the rearing of the young, yet the 

 old birds performed their several parental offices to their 

 progeny without interruption, and apparently without alarm." 



These birds also exhibit great attachment to each other. 

 One that was " caught and caged by the editor of the Natu- 

 ralist in winter was for several weeks constantly attended by 



