PERCHING BIRDS. 57 



and I have a record in my notebook of finding a thrash 

 sitting on five eggs on Feb. 22, 1859. The season was 

 particularly mild and open, and many other birds were 

 equally early in their nesting. A singular occupation 

 of a thrush's nest by other species occurred a few miles 

 from us in 1846. A pair of thrushes built their nest in 

 some ivy on the mansion of Mr. Simpson of Babworth, 

 and notwithstanding the spot they had chosen was close 

 to the door, and that persons were constantly passing, 

 they reared in safety four young ones, who duly took 

 their flight. Immediately on their departure a pair of 

 blackbirds took possession, and after effecting a few re- 

 pairs the female laid her eggs, which she hatched, and 

 the young safely left their birthplace. No sooner was 

 this done than a couple of spotted flycatchers became 

 the tenants of the domicile, but not contented with its 

 condition they built one of their own nests within it ; 

 five eggs were laid and hatched, and thus a third brood 

 was successfully reared in the same nest. 



Though such attractive denizens of our woods, they 

 are sadly destructive to the fruit in our gardens, and in 

 an hour will strip a large currant bush of the whole of 

 its crop; indeed, during one summer they, in conjunc- 

 tion with blackbirds, frequented my garden in such 

 numbers as to make serious inroads on my fruit. De- 

 fensive measures were in vain ; nothing in the shape 

 of whirligigs or scarecrows had any effect, for their 

 numbers did not appear to be at all diminished ; " the 

 cry was still, they come," and only when the fruit was 

 gathered and devoured together did they cease their 

 visits. I believe half my crop of gooseberries and cur- 

 rants, which that year was unusually heavy, was eaten 

 by them. 



