MAY. NESTS OF BIRDS. 221 



CHAPTEE XVI. 



MAY. 



Nests of Birds— Cross-bills, etc.— Lateness of Season— Bean- 

 Geese — Partridge's Nest — Northern Diver— Coot's Nest- 

 Teal and her Young— Wren's Nest— Badgers ; cunning of ; 

 anecdote of — Aurora Borealis ; sound made by. 



In this region May is invariably ushered in by 

 the croak of the landrail. Generally this bird is 

 heard on the 1st. If, however, the grass and wheat 

 fields are backward, it is not heard till the 2d or 

 3d, but never later than the 3d. 



On the 1st of May we found in an old crows' 

 nest, placed in a tall Scotch fir-tree, the nest of a 

 horned owl, with one young bird, half -grown, and 

 a rotten egg. The owls hoot now very much, and 

 though none breed very near the house, I hear them 

 every night in the ash-trees. 



The young thrushes, blackbirds, robins, and 

 hedge-sparrows will soon be hatched; but the 

 greenfinches, chaffinches, etc., although their nests 

 are nearly completed, have not yet laid any eggs; 

 the insectivorous birds being the first to build. 



Swallows, martins, swifts, and wheatears become 



