344 Mousley, The Singing Tree. [j$ 



good as found. Careful scanning with the glasses however re- 

 vealed nothing, nor did a climb produce any better results; so I 

 was perforce obliged to commence the tiring business of watching 

 the actions of the male once more. These however are varied and 

 interesting and the least significant may often lead to unexpected 

 results. For instance, be careful to note in what direction he usu- 

 ally faces when in the 'singing tree,' as this may give some clue to 

 the nesting site. Now in this case it was to the east and notwith- 

 standing his downward swoop to the north, I felt convinced that 

 the nest would eventually be found in the former direction (for the 

 reasons already given), so when after nearly another two hours of 

 weary watching, he at last made another of those telltale swoops, 

 and this time to the east, and the female again appeared, I thought 

 my troubles were surely at an end, and the nest was at last within 

 my reach. Nothing of the kind apparently, for on training the 

 glasses onto the spot (somewhat carelessly it must have been, owing 

 no doubt to being over-tired) no signs of a nest could be seen, and 

 as it was then past noon, I left for home and some dinner, much 

 disgusted with my ill luck. An hour later, however, found me on 

 my way back, with the intention of overhauling that tree more care- 

 fully, and perhaps climbing it. The latter however was not neces- 

 sary, for on approaching it, much to my surprise and pleasure I 

 noticed the female on the ground under it. This of course raised 

 my suspicions, and I watched her carefully until she went at length 

 to the very spot on the branch, some fifteen feet above the ground, 

 that the male had swooped to, and remained there a short time. 



Upon her leaving, I had another good look at the spot through 

 my glasses, and sure enough there seemed to be the faintest indi- 

 cation of the outlines of a nest, so faint however that I had failed 

 to notice it in the morning, and even now could hardly make up 

 my mind until the female had been seen to go to it again several 

 times. Thus after some five hours' hard work the goal had been 

 reached, and it lay within the magic circle at eighteen yards from 

 the 'singing tree.' 



Now it must not be imagined that during all those hours I had 

 the male constantly under observation, an impossibility with a 

 warbler, as often when singing he would suddenly cease, cock his 

 head on one side, peer down into the undergrowth, and then sud- 



