9/6 



THE NATURE BOOK 



NEST OK CORN BUNTING. 



would have managed such a mixed family, 

 but the inevitable small boy came along 

 and appropriated both nest and eggs. 



Contrary to what one might think, 

 Moorhens frequently nest in trees or 

 bushes. I have found them at various 

 heights from three to twelve feet from 

 the ground. The one found at a height 



Some youths 

 had been sur- 

 prised whilst "col- 

 lecting " at the 

 gullery by the 

 keeper, and, in 

 their anxiety to 

 get rid of the eggs 

 in their possession, 

 had hurriedly 

 (hopped more than 

 the usual number 

 into three nests. 

 Needless to say, it 

 does not do to 

 take too much for 

 granted. I may 

 add that in each 

 of these supposed 

 abnormal clutches 

 the eggs were safely 

 hatched. 



» * * 

 Still we might continue our way and 

 see many more nests, some needing careful 

 search so cunningly are they hidden, and 

 others quite conspicuous, until we at 

 length reach the highway once more 

 with its noisy traffic and white, choking 

 dust ; but still we carry away pleasant 

 recollections of what we have seen and 



of twelve feet was placed on the top of heard in a leafy lane. 



a ^^'ood Pigeon's old nest 



instances the young 



apparently must be 



carried down to the 



water by the parent 



birds. 



The usual num- 

 ber of eggs in a 

 Black-headetl 

 Gull's clutch is 

 three, sometimes 

 only two, but a few 

 seasons ago I found 

 two nests contain- 

 ing four each and 

 one with five. 

 These I thought 

 were really remark- 

 able, but later on I 

 found the explana- 

 tion rather disap- 

 pointing, although 

 at the same time 

 delightfully simple. 



In such 



Benjamin Hanley 



NEST OF GARDEN WAKULEK. 



