At Home with Wild Nature 



known a nest to. be commenced and finished in the short 

 space of three days. 



In the spring of 1918 a pair of hedge sparrows com- 

 pletely eclipsed this performance in lightning construc- 

 tion by commencing and finishing a nest in my garden 

 in a single day ! I watched them at work " from early 

 morn till dewy eve," and timed their journeyings on my 

 watch. At one period of the forenoon they brought bits 

 of moss and down along to the tune of eight times in 

 fifteen minutes ! That was, of course, counting their 

 combined efforts. 



In my wanderings I have been attacked by parent 

 birds of different species, from frail little wood wrens to 

 great skuas, in defence of their young. Some years ago 

 I went down to Reading to photograph a robin's nest 

 built in a book-case at a girls' school. Directly I was 

 shown into the room the irate bird darted from a row of 

 old volumes and flew straight at me. Here is an 

 extract from my diary describing her behaviour : 

 " Robin chased me up and down room as I moved to 

 adjust camera, striking at my head and hands until 

 my capless pate tingled all over from her pecking 

 attacks." 



The headmistress told me the impudent little 

 creature had visited nearly every bedroom in the school, 

 as the varied tints of human hair to be seen in the 

 lining of her somewhat elaborate nest testified. 



* * # * * 



158 



