THE WEEN. 309 



by. On a mossy bank, the outside would probably consist 

 of moss ; under the root of a tree, of twigs ; in a hay-stack, 

 of hay, and so on, the bird being guided by its instinct to 

 select the least conspicuous material. The number of eggs 

 laid is usually six, but as many as fifteen or sixteen have 

 been observed. Any one residing in the country, who has 

 given his attention to birds' nests, must have remarked 

 what a large proportion of the 'Wrens' nests which he has 

 discovered are in an unfinished state and contain no eggs. 

 E used to suppose that the Wren was peculiarly jealous of 

 having its nest touched, and always deserted it if any one 

 meddled with it before the laying of eggs had commenced, 

 and went away and built another. Another surmise was, 

 that each pair of birds began four or five nests, and com- 

 pleted that one only which they found from experience to 

 be most eligibly situated. Both opinions are, it seems, 

 erroneous. "During the period of incubation" (says a 

 writer in the Magazine of Natural History) "the male, 

 apparently from a desire to be doing something, constructs 

 as many as half a dozen nests in the vicinity of the first, 

 none of which are lined with feathers ; and whilst the 

 first nest is so carefully concealed as to be seldom found, 

 the latter are very frequently seen." Supposing this to 

 be the true explanation, the Wren, whether " king of all 

 birds" or no, is undeniably a sage possessing, if not reason, 

 yet at least some mental endowment to which no name 

 has been assigned as yet. 



THE HOOPOE. 



UPUPA EPOPS. 



Crest orange-red tipped with black ; head, neck, and breast purplish red ; back, 

 wings, and tail barred with black and white ; under parts white. Length 

 twelve inches, width nineteen inches. Eggs uniform lavender-grey. 



NOTHING appears to be known of the habits of this very 

 foreign-looking bird from observation in Great Britain, 

 for, although the public prints frequently record that one 



