NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 125 



are its principal British localities ; it has been known to breed in 

 Yorkshire and Northumberland. It forms its nest on the sea-coast, 

 where few sticks can be obtained, of seaweed, lined with wool, 

 grass, and hair, but in other localities forms it of sticks, with 

 the same lining. The eggs are commonly larger than those of 

 the rook ; it lays from four to five eggs in April 



They are migratory birds, in the autumn they make inland 

 and follow the ploughs. 



REDBREAST (Sylvia rulecula), p. 170. " This bird," writes Mr. 

 Napier, " forms a firm, compact nest of moss and leaves, which it 

 lines with hair of the horse or cow ; it is rather deep, and is 

 exceedingly comfortable ; it is placed in a variety of situations, 

 as under sea- kale or flower-pots in gardens, or in old walls; it 

 loves to build among the haunts of man, and often selects 

 the most singular situations for this purpose. The eggs of 

 the robin are from four to seven in number ; they have most 

 commonly a white ground, with brown ochre spots, which vary 

 much in size and distribution. Some are almost entirely covered 

 with minute indistinct spots, with a few more clearly defined 

 at the large end. Others have a zone of large ochre and ash 

 spots at the large end. A third is of a pale yellowish-white 

 colour, without spots, and a fourth is pure white, and spot- 

 less. Robins' eggs may be found which nearly resemble in 

 markings some varieties of those of the blackcap, garden- 

 warbler, red-backed shrike, greenfinch, nuthatch, and grey 

 wagtail." 



Robins are kept by many people in London ; they are free 

 singers in cages, and will live for years. In the winter they 

 come to towns and houses. In the spring they entirely dis- 

 appear to breed in the woods. Like the hedgesparrow, the 

 robins go to nest very early in the spring ; the robins pair about 

 the middle of February, no matter how bad the weather may be. 



There is much truth in the story of birds pairing at Valentine's 

 Day. About this time the following British birds are to be 

 found in pairs : blackbirds, thrushes, hedge-sparrows, common 

 wrens, long-tail titmouse, &c. In the case of the long-tail tit- 

 mouse, the old birds and the young ones keep together all the 

 winter, but about the middle of February, the happy family 

 party breaks up, and each looks out for its mate. 



It is a rule among most canary bird-dealers to " pair up " their 

 birds actually on Valentine's Day. 



REDSTART, p. 173. The Redstart (S. phosnicura) is a summer 

 visitor to Britain, but is not universally distributed. It breeds in 



