186 WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



in a hedgerow ; bramble bush, or amongst a few 

 slender twigs sprouting from the trunk of a tree 

 where a branch has been lopped off. I have met 

 with several in the last two positions in woods, and 

 I must admit that they very nearly escaped minute 

 examination on account of their close resemblance 

 to an accidental collection of leaves. These facts 

 would, on the face of them, appear to prove that 

 the bird in each case deliberately chose the mate- 

 rials for the outer walls of its nest in order that 

 they should harmonise with their surroundings and 

 materially lessen the chances of detection an end 

 which is undoubtedly attained, but whether by 

 accident or design it is difficult to say. I am in- 

 clined to think the former, because I believe that 

 birds, as a rule, build their nests with such suitable 

 materials as lie handiest, although I remember an 

 instance of a Wren flying over a quarter of a mile 

 for the feathers with which she lined her little 

 house. I was able to prove this, because those 

 used were all off a particularly light- coloured hen 

 Grouse, the skeleton and remaining feathers of 

 which I shortly afterwards found. 



Wrens build what are popularly known as 

 "cock's nests/' which are in every way equal to 

 those in which eggs are laid and young ones 

 reared, except for the fact that they do not contain 

 a lining of feathers. These nests, I should say 

 from my own experience, number quite three to 

 one of those made for breeding purposes. Some 

 ornithologists are of opinion that they are made to 

 sleep in, but although I have met with members of 

 the Tit family comfortably tucked away in them 

 at night-time, I have never come across one occu- 

 pied by a member of the species which built it. 



Water-hens generally build two or three spare 



