168 



able, and recent observations as to its distribution in N. W. France are 

 much to be desired; as well as confirmation of the statement that it 

 occasionally breeds in the S. W. of France. 



NeBt. The favourite breeding haunts of this bird are in the neighbourhood 



of farm houses, or old buildings, sometimes at some distance from water; 

 also the neighbourhood of ponds, chalk pits or old brick fields. It is 

 not confined to low ground, but also haunts the hill sides up to 1500 ft. 

 in AVales (Forrest). The nest is very often placed in a hole in a wall 

 or building, or in thick ivy, but is also frequently built in a hollow in 

 a bank by a stream or road side or in a crevice of rock. In some districts 

 the crowns of pollarded willows are a favourite site; while on Scotch 

 lochs I have seen nests among the loose stonework of the landing stages, 

 within a few inches of the water. Sometimes the nest is built against 

 a tree trunk (especially when covered with ivy), or in the crotch of a 

 bough, as much as 10 or 12 ft. from the ground, while at other times 

 it may be met with in wood stacks or stone heaps. A good many 

 instances have been recorded in which the old nest of some other bird 

 has been adapted for nesting pui'poses (see Zool. 1904, p. 421 and 1905, 

 p. 33), and probably those which N, Wood describes on branches of 

 laurels were built inside old nests of Blackbirds or Thrushes.* In E. 

 Anglia it is often placed in the furze walls of the lambing enclosures, 

 and also in hollows of thatch. Among the more unusual breeding sites 

 the following may be mentioned: — in flower pots inside greenhouses, 

 in trucks or underneath the metals on railway lines, in a boat, on the 

 ground in a turnip field, etc. The size of the nest varies according to 

 the situation, and is sometimes very bulky, while in other cases it merely 

 consists of a lining. Almost anything is used for the foundation, twigs, 

 moss, roots, grasses, dead leaves etc., loosely put together, while the 

 inner lining generally consists chiefly of hair, with sometimes feathers or 

 bits of wool, upon grasses, roots, etc. The hen when incubating is very 

 wary in approaching the nest,*}" but will often sit very closely in spite 

 of noise and bustle around her. Diameter of cup, 21 to nearly 3 in., 

 depth II to li in. 



Egg». 5 or 6 in number. Nests with 10 — 11 eggs have been found in 



Nottinghamshire twice (J. Whitaker) and the Dove Valley once (F. H. 

 Sikes), but were in all probability the produce of two hens. In colour the 

 ground is bluish or greyish white, evenly freckled with small spots and 

 occasionally streaks of leaden brown, with numerous underlying markings 

 of pale violet grey. A rather scarce variety is marked with good sized 



* See however R. H. Read's note in the Zool. 1905, p. 33. 

 t Cf. Ussher, Birds of Ireland, p. 35. 



