912 



THE NATURE BOOK 



NEST OF PARTRIDGE— A FULL CLUTCH. 



tangled with straw blown by the wind 

 from a neighbouring stack. In that case 

 the nest harmonised with its surround- 

 ings, but the following season the bird, 

 using the handiest materials, secured a 

 result calculated to lead to discovery 

 rather than concealment. 



The birds in\'ariably use the handiest 

 materials, and these usually conceal the 

 nest ; but, as I have shown, some odd 

 times the very opposite occurs. I have 

 found nests of the Wren built of hay 

 pulled from the stack in the side of which 

 it was built, and another in the side of an 

 old willow tree formed of dead leaves 

 picked up near by. This latter looked 

 exactly as a collection of leaves blown 

 together would do — and so both served 

 their purpose. 



Wliy should the nest of the Missel 

 Thrush, in addition to being lined with 

 mud, have a lining of fine hay or grasses, 

 whilst that of the Song Thrush has only 

 tlie first lining of mud and bits of rotten 

 wood ? Both need stiff mud sides to 

 hold the heavy youngsters, but whilst the 

 Missel Thrush Iniilds in exposed situations, 

 the Song Thrush usually places its nest 

 behind a stump or other sheltered spot. 

 With rain a simple mud hning would 

 soon become soft, and without the inner 

 lining of grass would bedaub the eggs (jr 



young. Thus we see the more exposed 

 nest provides for this contingency. 



For nesting in remarkable situations 

 the Robin, without doubt, takes first 

 place, bviilding anywhere from an ivy- 

 clad bank to the interior of an old kettle 

 or tin. In our illustration the nest is 

 amongst oak leaves in a wood, and when 

 the bird was covering her treasures there 

 was no perceptible difference between the 

 colouring of the bird and the surrounding 

 leaves — a case of protective resemblance. 



Birds nesting in holes build a very loose 

 nest, simply because the sides of the cavity 

 prevent its falling apart, and it has to 

 undergo no rough usage by the wind. 



The majority of Warblers build a kind 

 of swinging nest, a very slight structure 

 indeed, slung between the stems of herbage 

 or briar out of sight. Shght as these 

 nests are, they are not damaged by the 

 swaying of their supports ; indeed, their 

 very lightness proves their utihty, for it 

 gives elasticity, and these frail nests are 

 the best that could be made for their 

 surroundings. 



Many more examples could be men- 

 tioned, but sufficient has been said to show 

 that birds have probably no eye for beauty 

 and no reasoning power, but simply build 

 by instinct, from the handiest materials, 

 a nest best suited to their puipose. 



