THE FAERY YEAR 



in the yew branch in my garden, overhanging the 

 road, is that the tree has been shorn rather close 

 since she nested in it in May, 1904. This fits in 

 with the observations of a neighbour across the 

 downs, where goldfinches are more abundant than 

 chaffinches ; the most abundant, indeed, of the 

 family after the red and the green linnets. He is 

 sure that the reason why a pair of goldfinches did 

 not nest again this year in his yew bush is that their 

 favourite branch has been cut ofF. 



But the pair of goldfinches in the fir at the 

 garden gate built again this spring the third season 

 running on the same branch, and in almost exactly 

 the same spot. The nest, being in an exposed 

 position, has each season been robbed after the eggs 

 have been laid or the young hatched ; so that my 

 friend has made up his mind to destroy it himself 

 next spring before the eggs are laid, as he believes 

 it impossible for the birds to get off their young 

 safely whilst they build here. The return of these 

 goldfinches to exactly the same nesting site though 

 there are hundreds of other sites close by equally 

 suited to its habits and style of architecture argues 

 a very retentive memory for places, and a somewhat 

 unreasoning conservatism. They remember and 

 favour the place, but forget the fatality of it, the 

 loss and distress which they have suffered season 

 after season by building there. 



As a bird may persist in nesting in exactly the 

 same spot though a year has passed since she last 

 nested there, and she may have been absent for 

 14* 



