CONSTRUCTION BY ONE BIRD. 79 



upon the nest-beginning habits of the martins, 

 may be applicable in some instances to these nests, 

 and they may occasionally, perhaps, be the work 

 of young birds trying their skill at nidification. 

 The former supposition appears the most natural. 

 It appears to be the general rule for both birds 

 to engage in the construction of the nest. Fre- 

 quently the female is the artificer, and the male 

 the labourer, who supplies the materials. But 

 cases occur where only one bird performs the task. 

 A singular instance of this kind is narrated at 

 p. 352 of the Zoologist. A male blackbird residing 

 in an orchard appeared to have failed in procuring a 

 mate ; or, perhaps, had accidentally lost his partner 

 soon after being mated. Very early in the spring 

 he began building a nest under some long leaves 

 by the side of a fenny place in the orchard. 

 When the nest was finished, it was completely 

 concealed from the sight and protected from rain, 

 by these leaves bending over it ; so close, in fact, 

 was one of the leaves, that the bird had to lift it 

 up every time he went in or out. About two 

 weeks after this nest was completed the same bird 

 built another elsewhere in the same orchard. And 

 in this second nest the poor bachelor-bird, or 



