CHAPTEE XXVIII. 



Wild Birds' Nests in early April Rook stealing Eggs frightened and almost captured The 

 Domestic Cock What he was, and what he is Sadly demoralised by intermixture with 

 " Cochin-Chinas " and " Bramahpootras." 



AFTER a month's cold, clear weather, with dry, parching, northerly 

 winds the finest heather-burning season that ever was seen 

 a considerable rainfall during the past week has been welcomed as 

 a boon rather than otherwise, and the country around is all the 

 greener and gladder because of it [April 1872.] During an after- 

 noon's ramble on Saturday we found a redbreast's nest, a black- 

 bird's, and a chaffinch's, all with their full complement of eggs 

 in them ; while the nests of several other species, some completed 

 and some still abuilding, were to be found by diligent searching in 

 almost every likely locality. For many years past there has been 

 no such favourable season for wild birds. An amusing scene a 

 day or two ago was the following : One of our hens, disregarding 

 the companionship of the rest, and desirous of more freedom of 

 action, in a matter so important, than the hen-house could supply, 

 took to laying her eggs in a hole she had scratched out under an 

 old hazel root in a neighbouring copse. Complaints were by-and- 

 by brought into the house that although this hen regularly 

 dropped her quotidian egg in the spot selected, it was found that, 

 unless immediately taken away from her, the egg was sure to be 

 sucked by some sly thief who doubtless enjoyed such a delicacy at 

 this season amazingly, and all the more so, we daresay, that his 

 pilferings had hitherto passed undetected, despite the strictest 

 vigilance on the part of those more immediately interested. It 



