BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 239 



Wales ; rarely met with in Scotland and never in 

 Ireland. 



Materials. Leaves, flakes of bark, dry grass, 

 and sometimes chips and debris when the bird is 

 obliged to enlarge the situation selected. The 

 bird has the peculiar habit of plastering up the 

 approach to its nest with clay if there be more room 

 than is necessary for its admission. 



Egg 8 - Five to eight or nine ; pure white, spotted 

 with reddish-brown ; sometimes blotched, the mark- 

 ings varying in distribution. If care is not exer- 

 cised the eggs are likely to be mistaken for those of 

 the Great Titmouse, but the character of the nest 

 will readily settle the point. Size about .8 by .57 in. 

 (See Plate III.) 



Time. April, May, June, and July. 



Remarks. Resident. Notes: call, whit, whit, 

 whit ; sometimes represented as twi-twit, twi-twit. 

 Local and other names : Woodcracker, Nut jobber, 

 Jarbird, Nuthack, Mudstopper. Sits very closely, 

 and hisses like a snake when disturbed. 



ORIOLE, GOLDEN. 



( Ortolus galbula.} 

 Order PASSERES ; Family ORIOLHXE (ORIOLES). 



This bird, although a somewhat rare and acci- 

 dental visitor to our shores, has, according to some 

 authorities, bred in several parts of England. There 

 are, however, sceptics who doubt this, and adduce, 

 as a reason, that there is not a collector who can 

 boast the possession of a British-laid specimen. Be 

 this as it may, it is doubtful whether the bird will 

 ever succeed in breeding in this country, on account 



