BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 21 



pulled out by a lad attempting to catch the hen 

 on her nest ; yet, quite undaunted, she returned, 

 hatched out her five eggs, and reared her young. 



CHIFF-CHAFF. 



Description of Parent Birds. Length about four 

 and three-quarter inches. Bill moderately long, 

 nearly straight, and dark brown in colour. Irides 

 brown. Over the eye is a pale yellowish-brown 

 streak, which becomes much lighter behind the 

 ear-coverts. Crown, neck, back, and upper tail- 

 coverts dull olive-green tinged with yellow. Wing- 

 quills dark greyish-brown edged with olive-green; 

 tail-feathers somewhat similar. Chin, throat, breast, 

 and under-parts dull yellowish- white. Legs, toes, 

 and claws blackish-brown. 



The female is very similar in all respects. 



Situation and Locality. On or near the ground, 

 in woods, on hedge-banks amongst tall, rank grass, 

 supported by brambles and slender bushes. Our 

 illustration shows a bank in which is a nest 

 exposed so that the eggs may be seen. It breeds 

 pretty generally throughout the south and middle 

 of England, but less frequently in the northern 

 counties and Scotland. It is also met with in 

 Wales and Ireland. 



Materials. Dead grass, withered leaves, and 

 moss, with an inner lining of hair and a liberal 

 quantity of feathers. The nest is oval, or nearly 

 so, domed, and has an entrance hole at the side 

 and near the top. 



Eggs. Five to seven, white, somewhat sparingly 

 spotted with dark purplish-brown. The spots 

 vary in size, intensity, and numbers, but as a rule, 



