BIRDS OF WOODLAND AND HEDGEROW. 169 



heart-searching, I ran over to a chaffinch's nest 

 not far away, and borrowed two eggs, but although 

 I waited a goodly while in hiding, she never re- 

 turned, and I had to replace them in the nest 

 of their rightful owner. 



One day, whilst making some ornithological 

 investigations in a small birch and hazel wood, I 

 accidentally found a garden warbler's nest in a 

 low whitethorn bush. 



The female owner convinced me that birds do 

 not always sing from pleasure, for again and 

 again when I approached with the camera, in- 

 tending to figure her on the nest, she quietly 

 slipped off, and commenced to imitate her mate's 

 song, but in a weak, creaky kind of voice, not 

 at all approaching his fine mellow notes, which 

 were being poured forth at the same time in a 

 different part of the little thicket. 



HEDGE SPARROW 

 ATTENDING TO HER YOUNG. 



