248 BIKD LIFE 



plasters up with mud the door of the hole chosen 

 for a resting-place, but only to reduce it to a con- 

 venient size through which both birds pass freely in 

 and out. 



A Scottish maiden in olden days would have thought 

 it beneath her dignity, however well her future husband's 

 house might be provided, to set up housekeeping with- 

 out a complete outfit of homespun linen. On the same 

 principle, perhaps, birds in like interesting circum- 

 stances seem to think it incumbent upon them to 

 collect nest materials whether or not likely to be of 

 practical use. 



A pair of Nuthatches lately took possession of a 

 nesting-box placed in a garden in Norfolk. The 

 entrance-hole, which had been cut for Tits, was barely 

 large enough for the Nuthatches. The 'untempered 

 mortar ' was none the less collected, and as it would 

 have been inconvenient to use it in accordance with 

 precedent at the door, the far end of the box was 

 plastered over. 



Almost exactly the same thing was noticed in the 

 case of the second brood of a Swallow, whose nest with 

 a first family had been taken down and placed in a 

 soap-box. The feathers of the old nest were used again 

 in their old position ; but, before an egg of the second 

 clutch was laid, a far corner of the box a foot or nine 

 inches off was carefully built up with clay. 



The highest place among the birds was until com- 

 paratively lately assigned to the Hawks and Eagles. 

 They have now been dethroned, and the post of honour 



