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THE NATURE BOOK 



absolutely no nest, and yet its eggs are 

 possibly more difficult to discover than 

 those of any other bird. Imagine a 

 stretch of beach several miles in length 

 and of considerable width, covered with 

 smooth pebbles, and one will readily 

 understand that it is only by watching 

 the birds one is able to find their eggs, 

 otherwise the beach might be searched for 

 weeks without result, the fact being that 

 there is no nest to search for after all. 



Gulls which nest on ledges of the cliffs 

 make \-ery httle nest, only a kind of ring 

 sufficient to prevent the eggs roUing off 

 the ledge ; but those which hav^e for- 

 saken the chffs, and nest in inland marshes 

 and tarns, build a more bulky nest of 

 grasses and reeds, simply because it is 

 essential that the eggs be kept clear of the 

 water. 



On the other hand, that of the Little 

 Grebe, or Dabchick, which floats on the 

 water, is a low pad of decayed vegetation, 

 soaked with water, and the eggs, to all 

 intents and purposes, one might say, are 

 in the water also. 



The Coot's homestead is usually a large, 

 bulky structure ; but even then until 

 near at hand it looks more hke a collec- 

 tion of reeds and rushes accidentally 

 formed than a nest. This also apphes in 



some cases to the lesser nest of the Moor- 

 hen. 



Some nests are partially domed, hke 

 those of the Chiffchaff and Willow Wren, 

 and as these are placed on the ground 

 amongst vegetation they well answer their 

 purpose. From above, if at all visible, 

 the nest appears to be a lump of dried 

 grass or hay, whereas were they simply 

 open nests the risk of the hght-coloured 

 eggs being noticed would be all the 

 greater. Again, the dome serves the addi- 

 tional purpose of shielding the eggs or 

 young from moisture. After a shower, 

 for instance, the vegetation around such 

 nests is simply saturated with water, and 

 but for the dome this would drip on to 

 the contents of the nest. 



Of course, birds have no reasoning 

 powers ; they simply build by instinct, 

 and this sometimes plays them pranks. 



The Common Wren's nest is usually well 

 concealed, but recently I heard of one of 

 these birds using a crevice in a brick wall 

 and leaving long straws hanging from the 

 nest, which could be seen from a great 

 distance, and rendered it conspicuous. 

 Why did the Wren make such a mistake ? 

 It was simply obeying instinct without 

 reasoning. It was one of a brood reared 

 from a nest built of straw in a hedge 



NEST OK TURTLE DOVES 



