BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



Time. May and June. 



Remarks. Migratory, arriving in April and leav- 

 ing in October. Notes: alarm, a shrill chatter- 

 ing, not unlike that of an angry Merlin. Local or 

 other name: none. Sits lightly, according to 

 Mr. Dixon, and fairly closely, according to Mr. 

 Seebohm. Both are in a measure right, for the 

 bird which owned the nest figured in our illustra- 

 tion sat closely when the friend who showed it to 

 me first discovered it, but during the day I spent 

 at the place she sat very lightly. Is very demon- 

 strative when intruded upon whilst the young 

 are in the nest. On one occasion I saw a brood 

 of chicks of this species leave the nest and the 

 chattering of the adult birds as they circled 

 above the little wood in which they had reared 

 their family was incessant. 



HOOPOE. 



(Upupa epops.) 

 Order PICARLE ; Family UPUPID.E (HOOPOES). 



This bird has been known in past times to breed 

 in several parts of England, but its persecution 

 which dates from King Solomon's time, when tradi- 

 tion says that its handsome crest was made of 

 gold has so increased, that a detailed description 

 of the bird, its habits, nest, eggs, etc., seems un- 

 necessary in a work of this character. I fear a 

 breeding pair of birds is never again likely to 

 escape the lynx-eyed gunner in this country. 



HOUSE SPARROW. See SPARROW, COMMON. 



