THE CRADLE IN THE REEDS 125 



sitting. He collects grasses, and attempts 

 to build a dummy nest, and when he 

 has failed with this he begins another 

 and another, and often will build four. 

 Why he does this I cannot tell, but my 

 photographs will show the vast difference 

 between the beautiful nest made by the 

 female bird and that built by her mate ! 

 I have known the Garden-Warbler to 

 build five of these dummy nests. The 

 Blackcap also occupies his time in this 

 way. I once heard a Blackcap singing 

 loudly in a small isolated bush by the 

 stream side. I knew that his mate was 

 sitting on her eggs in a bush not far away, 

 so I thought I would like to see how 

 near I could stalk to the bush without 

 driving the bird away. Going silently 

 forward, I was able to get right up to 

 the bush, and still the bird sang. 

 Noiselessly I moved the leaves aside, and 

 there saw a pretty sight. There was the 

 Blackcap upon his dummy nest ; he was 



