50 THE BIRDS OF BERKS AND BUCKS. 



'The Robin and the Wren are God's cock and 

 hen/ says an old rhyme;* and they are certainly 

 more protected by mankind than most small birds. 

 The Wren builds early, and the nest is large for 

 the size of the bird. I have often noticed the simi- 

 larity of colour between the nest and the surround- 

 ing trees or ground. For instance, one which was 

 entirely composed of dry leaves was placed imme- 

 diately above a large heap of the same hue : another, 

 placed against a moss-covered stump of a tree, was 

 composed of green materials. When built in a fagot- 

 stack it is often brown, to match the colour of the 

 wood. 



Varieties of this species are not frequent. In the 

 winter of 1863-64, a pied wren, almost pure white, 

 was shot near Winkfield, and came into the possession 

 of Mr. Hasell, of Windsor. 



NUTHATCH (Sitta Europad). Local name, Nut- 

 jobber. Remains throughout the year ; but, though 

 generally dispersed in both counties, it is not very 

 common. I have often observed these birds on the 

 old elms in the Eton playing-fields, as they ran 

 mouse-like up the stem without making any noise. 



The nest of this species is not easy to discover, 

 being generally built in a hole in a tree, and when the 

 hole is too large, the little bird plasters it up with 



* Another version is as follows : 



' The Robin Redbreast and the Wren 

 Are God Almighty's cock and hen.' 



