WRYNECK. 167 



but which is lost in the blowing. I replaced the nest, and 

 visited it during the ensuing week, and was induced, out 

 of curiosity, to examine it again, when, to my astonish- 

 ment, I found the birds had not deserted the hole, she 

 having laid six more eggs since. I took these away, and 

 was obliged to keep them, as I was only able to replace 

 the nest by again thrusting it up in the inside of the tree 

 as before, which I did. I again visited the spot in the 

 following week, and found that they had still pertinaciously 

 adhered to their domicile, having further laid four more 

 eggs. I repeated the experiment ; but not having an op- 

 portunity of visiting the tree until ten days afterwards, I 

 thought at the time that the nest was abandoned, and was 

 not undeceived until I had again withdrawn the nest, hav- 

 ing taken the precaution of endeavouring to frighten the 

 old bird off should she be on the nest, which I found was 

 the case, she suffering me to pull the nest to the bottom of 

 the tree before she attempted to escape : there were seven 

 eggs which were slightly sat upon. What appears to me 

 extraordinary is, that the bird should suffer her nest to be 

 disturbed five times, and the eggs (amounting altogether 

 to twenty-two) to be taken away at four different periods 

 within the month before she finally abandoned the spot she 

 had selected." 



The young birds are easily tamed, and are great favour- 

 ites with boys in this country, but more particularly so in 

 France, where it is customary to tie a piece of thin string 

 to one of the legs of the bird, and, carrying it from one 

 tree to another, allow it to search the bark for insects ; it 

 climbs with equal facility over any part of the clothes. 



The Wryneck is very common during summer in the 

 south-eastern counties of England ; but it decreases in num- 

 bers on proceeding to the westward : it is rare in Cornwall, 

 and has not been ascertained to visit Ireland. Northward 



