SYLVIA TROCHILUS. 319 



edge of a strip of wood, I watched another with dry grass in its 

 bill. I lay a few yards off and saw her fly down and deposit it 

 under the herbage. On looking carefully I found the spot 

 where the nest was being made, but could only see the very 

 small entrance hole, as the half-formed nest was entirely under 

 the long grass at the root of a small whin ; further on I saw 

 another bird with a feather in its bill, which I also watched, 

 and saw her deposit it under the herbage, like the other, and in 

 a few seconds fly off for more. I searched, but could not tind 

 the nest ; but, as I did not want to crush it, I made a mark and 

 passed on. On coming back I again watched, and saw the same 

 bird with another feather. I stood within ten feet of her ; she 

 never heeded, but flew down, deposited the feather, was up 

 again in a moment, taking no time to arrange it. I went to the 

 very spot this time, and got the nest by seeing two wood-pigeon's 

 feathers lying at the entrance of the diminutive hole. The nest 

 was completely hidden under the mossy grass, and no one could 

 have discovered those two nests unless by closely watching the 

 birds. This one was also near a small whin. The males flew 

 twittering about the whins and trees close by. One of them 

 flew down, seized a worm, about two inches long, and flew up 

 with it. When I approached it flew off with its prey, which 

 was larger than I thought they fed upon. I saw another dart 

 after a fly, which it missed ; but quick as thought wheeled and 

 snatched it with a snap of the bill I distinctly heard. On the 

 27th I saw one building at Abbey Park, but the grass not being 

 long enough to hide the nest the top was raised like a ball and 

 covered with grass and moss, so exactly like the rest that it 

 could not have been detected. I had not seen the bird doing it ; 

 the raised portion was 3 inches diameter by 2 high. On June 

 4th I got another under the herbage and roots of a hedge, also 

 at Abbey Park, with seven eggs, so artfully concealed and 

 covered with old leaves, grass, and twigs that, though the bird 

 flew out at my feet, I could hardly find it. On May 31st I got 

 a nest with four eggs ; I returned on June 3rd and found seven 

 in it, one had been added each day. I give these dates to 

 show the time the willow wren breeds here, and how the nest 

 may be discovered without hiring boys, for Dr Macgillivray 

 says — " One he obtained on the 7th of July 1837 contained four 

 eggs, and the parent bird was caught in the act of incubating 

 and slain, contrary to good feeling " (I should think so), "by a 

 boy hired to disclose the discovery of a Whitie's nest." So, if you 

 go to the margins of woods or adjacent gardens about the end of 



