80 INTRODUCTION, 



water, and in reeds; some on the roofs, others under the 

 eaves of houses ; some lofty turrets or rocks ; some banks ; 

 >;onie holes in the earth, in trees, or in walls ; and some, as 

 the Swallow, the inside of the tops of chimneys. The Rook 

 most decidedly in this country prefers the elm; yet it 

 occasionally builds on the pine and the chesnut. The 

 Goldfinch is partial to a young elm, not a lofty tree; box 

 is a favourite site, when to be obtained, for the Hedge- 

 sparrow i this choice arises most probably from the nest 

 being, in box^ most effectually concealed : this bird laying 

 early in the spring, before the hedges are clothed with 

 leaves. Afterwards, as its name imports, hedges are its 

 usual place of domicile, and particularly those of the white- 

 thorn ; it also prefers dry and closely matted brakes in th^ 

 early spring, for the same reason no doubt that it prefers 

 the box. The House-sparrow in and near London occa- 

 sionally chooses the Lombardy poplar ; but in no other 

 part of this country, that I am aware of. I am disposed to 

 believe that this is a recently adopted habit of this bird, 

 from this poplar being now very plentiful in the suburbs of 

 London. 



Many birds of warm climates build pendulous nests, 

 which are attached to the extreme branches of trees, and 

 where only they are secure from their enemies, the snakes 

 and monkeys. Seeing that the eggs of many birds are often 

 sought after and destroyed by vermin in this country, 

 snakes, most probably, and the weasel tribe, it is rather 

 remarkable that pendulous nests are not common here. 

 Those who are conversant with the subject, knovs' that a 

 bird's nest with nothing but broken egg-shells in it will be 

 very often found. 



The Penduline Titmouse, Parus pendulinns, has a pen- 

 dulous nest, as its name imports, and it is, besides, an 



