274 Country Rambles. 



THE COMMON WREN (Sylvia Troglodytes), iii., 160. 

 Well-known, and common everywhere in gardens, 

 woods, and hedgerows. Often found with a few 

 scattered white feathers, and sometimes with white 

 wings. The large and pretty nest reminds one of 

 what women do for the world. The hen commences 

 one and completes it. Meantime the male bird 

 begins two or three in succession, a short distance 

 from his mate's, but never completes one of them. 

 The materials are moss, feathers, hair, dead leaves, 

 and dead fern. 



THE PEEWIT, OR LAPWING ( Vanellus cristatus), iv., 192. 

 Common everywhere in marshy grounds, and known 

 to most people by the peculiar cry represented in 

 the name. The young ones are particularly fond of 

 being in the bottom of deep ditches and drains, 

 squatting down close to the ground, 



THE KING-FISHER (Alcedo ispida), i., 46. 



Cheadle, Urmston, Flixton, and elsewhere in those 

 directions, by all the tributaries of the Mersey. A 

 beautiful but very timid bird, darting with great speed, 

 its glossy green back glancing quick as thought. 

 (See, in reference to the Lancashire localities, the 

 Manchester Guardian of Feb. 4th, 1882.) 



THE MOOR-HEN, OR WATER-HEN (Gallinula chloropus), 



v., 247. 



Common by old pits. Many breed on the ponds in 

 Dunham Park, where we cannot go in the summer 



