260 THE COMMON CHIFF-CHAFF 



grass, and lined with feathers ; and is generally placed on or 

 near the ground, frequently on a ditch bank, in a tuft of grass 

 or low bush. The eggs are six in number, white, speckled 

 with purplish red at the larger end only, with here and there 

 a single speck on the sides. 



It seems to be the hardiest and most generally diffused of 

 all our summer visitants ; and is found in all parts of the 

 kingdom where wood or hedges afford it shelter and food. Its 

 note is heard long after the hay-bird is silent. Dr. Latham 

 says this is called in Dorsetshire the hay-bird ; but as we are 

 inclined to believe the three species before mentioned have 

 been confounded, it is more probable that our hay-bird 

 should obtain that name, as its nest is composed of that 

 material. 



Mr. Sweet tells us, " it is readily taken in a trap baited 

 with ?.mall caterpillars. They soon get familiar in confine- 

 ment ; when first caught, they should, if possible, be put with 

 other birds, and they will readily take to feed on bruised 

 hemp-seed and bread, and on bread and milk, which must at 

 first be stuck full of small insects, or a quantity of aphides 

 may be shaken off a branch upon it ; when they have once 

 tasted it they will be very fond of it. One that I caught took 

 to eat it directly, and became so familiar, that in three or four 

 days it would take a fly out of the hand. It also learnt to 

 drink milk out of a tea-spoon, of which it was so fond, that it 

 would fly after it all round the room, and perch on the hand 

 that held it, without showing the least symptoms of fear. 

 It would also fly up to the ceiling, and bring down a fly in its 

 mouth every time. At last it got so very tame, that it would 

 sit on my knee by the fire and sleep ; and when the windows 

 were open, it would never attempt, nor seemed to have the 

 least inclination, to fly out ; so that I at last ventured to entice 

 it out in the garden, to see whether it would return. I with 

 difficulty enticed it out at the door with a spoon of milk ; it 

 returned twice to the room ; the third time it ventured into L 

 little tree ; it then fled and perched on my hand, and drank 

 milk out of the spoon ; from thence it flew to the ground on 

 some chickweed, in which it washed itself, and got into a 

 holly-bush to dry. After getting among the leaves, I could 

 see no more of it, but heard it call several times. I suppc .e 



