168 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



far into the tree that they got through the dead wood into 

 the living wood behind, with the result that the birch sap 

 had oozed and is still shewing signs of oozing, so evidently a 

 certain amount of dampness is not detrimental to the young. 



3rd July. This nest was empty and the brood had departed. 



13th June. I went down to nest B (see under D. m. 

 anglicus). The P. viridis had at the end of April turned the 

 starlings out lock, stock, and barrel, thrown the nest and 

 young on to the ground, cleaned the cavity up thoroughly, 

 and enlarged it to suit their own requirements. This treat- 

 ment of the starlings we regarded as indicating a very proper 

 sense of decency and a just wrath on the part of the P. viridis. 

 They were the only pair of starlings that defiled a very 

 beautiful birch copse, which, excluding a few blackbirds, is 

 usually tenanted only by the aristocracy of our bird world. 

 One bird only came to the tree containing the nest, but I was 

 unable to see which, as it pitched in the tree and did not come 

 to the nesting hole : it stayed in the vicinity from 2 to 4.30. 

 I was unable to determine if it was the male hanging round 

 whilst the female sat inside. 



20th June. E.H.C. commenced on this nest ; from 2 to 3 

 one of the birds was calling in the distance and once another 

 answered. The young made a little noise between the 

 buzzing of bees and a grating sound. 



3.30 W.P.C. took on for a short time. 3.35 One of the 

 birds passed close to the tent and called " quock quock 

 quock." 3.45 One of the adults spoke in the distance. E.H.C. 

 came back and took on. 4.30 Female came to a tree near 

 at hand and called and moved to and fro at intervals. 



4.35 She came to the nesting tree and spent 5 minutes 

 examining the tent, and then backed down the tree to within 

 a few feet of the ground. 4.45 She prowled about on the 

 ground looking for food. 5.15 I gave it up. 



25th June. E.H.C. again visited this nest and noted as 

 follows : 



3 p.m. The young were making a rasping noise not unlike 

 a file being rubbed slowly along the edge of a good sized piece 



