58 OUR RARER BRITISH BREEDING BIRDS. 



subscriber his money in full, and stood the ex- 

 pense out of our own pockets. On that occasion 

 we found the farmers in the neighbourhood very 

 wroth about the robbery not, alas ! because they 

 loved the birds, but because they had discovered 

 the monetary value of Kites' eggs, and felt they 

 had been done out of something ! 



The nest is generally placed amongst the 

 strong forked branches shooting out round the 

 top of a tree -trunk, or on several springing from 

 its side, and is composed of sticks, twigs, grass, 

 moss, bits of rope, string, rag, old newspaper, 

 and similar rubbish. 



The eggs number from two to four generally 

 three of a greyish dirty white, blotched, streaked, 

 and spotted with dull red, brownish-yellow, and 

 underlying greyish-lilac markings. The presence 

 of the parent birds readily serves to identify the 

 nest and eggs, and I would most earnestly plead 

 with all lovers of British birds to do what they 

 can to save such a fine species, now driven to 

 the last extremity, from extermination. For once 

 a non-migratory bird has gone from us, it is likely 

 to be lost for ever. 



NUTHATCH. 



THE Nuthatch is fairly common in the wooded 

 districts of the southern and midland portions of 

 England. I have met with it close to London on 

 both sides of the Eiver Thames. It is an exceed- 

 ingly interesting bird to watch running up and 

 down the trunks and branches of trees in search 

 of insects, or hammering a hazel nut cleverly fixed 



