518 Air. 1-'. (i. "Mr:\ilr-W;il.i(> on the 



1)0 obstM'vod oxfoodiniily rasily. A i>!iii' iist^l \o (mmuo inti> 

 my ttMit and pii-k up I'tuiary-siHul at my loot, and WDiihl lo(»k 

 mit t\M- mo ti> rrU';isr a hutttM'lly it' 1 hrlil oiu' up in my IhiiitM's. 

 Tht^y an^ j;roat hawkors nttcM* buttiM'tlios, ami liunl tlir cracks 

 in till" l)ark cit'tlu" jniics t\>r n\otlis. Thry usually cdmimu-uch* 

 at the ti)p o{ x\ troo and hunt the hram'hrs tVoni the trunk to 

 the tip. iK\si'eudiui;" to the next hi'aui'h when they havi> 

 reaeheil tlu^ tij) i^l' one. On reaehini;' the point of a honjjh 

 where there are ecnies, tlu\v haui; and twist al)i>ut to set^ if 

 there ari" any i>pen sutVu'iently l\)r tluMU to rt-aeh the seeds ; 

 they of et)urse ueviM" attempt to open a eone, mIuoIi would 

 he impossible. A i;reat di>al o^ their time is spent on the 

 iii'onud. K>okini;- t\>r insects and pini'-sccils, they also are vimt 

 fond of the seeds i>f the fori;et-uie-not. They pair early in 

 the sjM'iuii-. but the first nest 1 fonntl this year, that of a very 

 old pair (>!' binls, was mdy a ipiartiM" built on .lime Sih ; on 

 June .v'Slh the hen had eommeuoed to sit, perhaj>s for three or 

 four days. This nest, as well as others 1 fouml afterwards, 

 etmtainiHl but \\\o ciii^s. 1 have little hesitation in saying 

 that twi> iMily are laid. fiM" out of eh^ven nests seen and si*ven 

 taken, all eontaiueil two eugs, and in each ease the hen was 

 sittiuii'. In three instanivs only one eiiij was fertile, and in 

 two eases 1 lound the ei;i;s iui'ubated for dilleri ut periods, as 

 if the hen had I'ounnenced to sit as soon as she had laid her 

 first Ciigs. While sittinj;- the hen doca not quit the nest to mntt\ 

 so that before thi" time she hati'hcs tlu> ni^st looks as if it had 

 ymiui;- ones ready to fly. The nest takiMi on June IL'Sth was 

 far in advance i>f all others fmind. for 1 i;ot no more until 

 July Ith. antl on J nly Sth i>ne pair had not laid. The yonnj;- tU" 

 the previous year brecil in their immatiuc plnmai;e. and I saw 

 one cock paired w ith a hen that was much bluer than himself. 

 The nest is built i>f a i;reat variety o{ mati-rials — a few pine- 

 neeilles, dead twigs of tree heath, moss and lichen : it is liuoti 

 with feathers, goat's hair, and, iii one instance, ilrieil grass. 

 The w hole <\( the outside is welded together w ith spiders' webs, 

 so that some nests appear ipiite white. The extreme end of u 

 branch is usually chosen, but I fiunul one nest placetl against 

 the trunk ol' a triH\ ami one hallwav along a thick hori- 



