NA TURAL HISTOR Y OF SELBORNE. 151 



The flycatcher of the "Zoology" (the Stoparola of Ray),* 

 builds every year in the vines that grow on the walls of my 

 house. A pair of these little birds had one year inadvertently 

 placed their nest on a naked bough, perhaps in a shady time, 

 not being aware of the inconvenience that followed. But an 

 hot sunny season coming on before the brood was half-fledged, the 

 reflection of the wall became insupportable, and must inevitably 

 have destroyed the tender young, had not affection suggested 

 an expedient, and prompted the parent-birds to hover over the 

 nest all the hotter hours, while with wings expanded, and mouths 

 gaping for breath, they screened off the heat from their suffering 

 offspring. 



SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. 



A farther instance I once saw of notable sagacity in a willow- 

 wren, which had built in a bank in my fields. This bird a friend 

 and myself had observed as she sat in her nest ; but were 

 particularly careful not to disturb her, though we saw she eyed 

 us with some degree of jealousy. Some days after as we passed 

 that way we were desirous of remarking how this brood went on ; 

 but no nest could be found, till I happened to take up a large 

 bundle of long green moss, as it were, carelessly thrown over the 

 nest in order to dodge the eye of any impertinent intruder. 



A still more remarkable mixture of sagacity and instinct 

 occurred to me one day as my people were pulling off the lining of 



* Muscicapa grisola. 



