362 BRITISH BIRDS' NEST*. 



Situation and Locality. I Lave found the nest 

 of this bird in crevices and holes of rock, in the 

 gnarled roots of trees growing 011 the banks of 

 streams, amongst fern roots growing on the sides 

 of banks, in banks of rivers, amongst ivy growing 

 against walls and trees, in holes in brick and stone 

 walls, faggot and hay-stacks ; in the thatch of 

 barns ; amongst wreckage lodged in a thorn bush 

 by a high flood; between the stems of two trees 

 growing close together over a stream, and lodged 

 amongst a few slender twigs sprouting from the 

 trunk of a tree where a large branch had been 

 lopped off, and various other situations. The sub- 

 ject of one of our illustrations was found near the 

 top of a hedge, and the other amongst ivy growing 

 against a garden wall. The nest has been found 

 in all sorts of odd places, such as in cabbages 

 run to seed, bodies of scarecrows, and the skeleton 

 of a Carrion Crow hanging against a wall. Generally 

 throughout the British Isles. 



Materials. Moss, dead leaves, fern-fronds, roots, 

 dry grass-stalks, the steins of leaves, lined with 

 hair and feathers. I remember once rinding one 

 lined entirely with the feathers of a hen grouse, 

 whose skeleton I discovered not far away. The 

 bird has a very shrewd idea about the value of 

 harmonisation and mimicry. The nest I mentioned 

 finding amongst fern roots was composed outside 

 of dead fern-fronds, and the one between the stems 

 of two trees growing close together over a brook, 

 of bright green moss, matching that upon the trunk 

 on either side exactly. The one in the twigs 

 growing from the stem of a tree was composed 

 outside entirely of dead leaves, and looked exactly 

 like an accidental collection. The bird practises 

 the curious habit of building the outer structure 



