THE REDSTART. 



253 



tory ; yet in such an unlooked-for place did a female 

 Water- Wagtail once build her nest, within a foot of the 

 wheel of a lathe, in the midst of the din of hammers and 

 braziers. There, unmolested and unconcerned, she 

 hatched four young ones. The cock, not reconciled to 

 such a scene, instead of taking his part in feeding the 

 nestlings, carried the food he collected to a spot on the 

 roof, where he left it till the hen fetched it when wanted. 

 She became quite familiar with the men who were con- 

 stantly employed in the shop, and flew in and out without 

 showing signs of fear ; but if a stranger approached she 

 immediately flew off her nest, or, if absent, would not 

 return until he had departed. 



We once found a Wagtail's nest under the half-deck 

 of a pleasure-boat, which was anchored on a sheet of 

 water. Several times, from the discovery of the nest, 

 to the final departure of the young ones, we embarked 

 and sailed about, the old 

 birds keeping a look-out 

 upon our motions, and 

 frequently alighting on the 

 gunwale, and finally rear- 

 ing and flying off with 

 their brood. 



The Redstart, one of 

 our prettiest summer 

 birds of passage, though 

 in its general habits very 

 shy, is frequently in the - 

 choice of position for its 

 nest, the very reverse. 

 We remember one which 

 built on the narrow space 

 between the gudgeons or 

 upright iron on which a 

 garden door was hung ; 

 the bottom of the nest, 

 of course, resting on the 

 iron hinge, which must 



iMJC-^ 



.~3 



Singular nest of a Redstart. 



