269 
insects, small seeds, and soft fruits. Its song, 
which is full, rich, and mellow, is surprisingly loud. 
Its flight is rapid, even, and short. Although not 
essentially a climber, it clings to perpendicular 
surfaces sideways, and is often seen on trees. It 
builds its nest, which is very large, and lined in 
the interior with feathers, under the thatch or other 
covering of outhouses, against the stem of anivy-clad 
tree, or in some cavity under an impending branch 
or prominent piece of rock. The materials of 
which the nest is constructed externally are always 
adapted in colour to the situation it is to occupy. 
Thus, on trees overrun with ivy, the outer coat is 
entirely composed of the fresh and greener mosses, 
but on a stump or rock, grey with lichens and 
without grass, it will be found to be built either 
of those substances, or of others coinciding in 
general effect. The eggs, from six to eight in 
number, are of a yellowish white, speckled, princi- 
pally at the larger end, with reddish brown. 
WRYNECK. 
Yunx ToRQUILLA, Lin. 
The Wryneck, which is one of the most beautiful 
of our native birds, arrives from the middle to the 
end of April, generally preceding the Cuckoo, and 
disperses over the country in search of insects, 
