Nests in Trees 



book the following amusing account is given of the 

 method by which the bird captures its prey : " Sometimes 

 upon certain birds she doth use to prey, whome she doth 

 entrappe and deceive by flight, for this is her desire. She 

 will stand at perch upon some tree or poste, and there 

 make an exceeding lamentable crye and exclamation, 

 such as birds are wonte to do, being wronged or in 

 hazard of mischiefe, and all to make other fowles believe 

 and thinke that she is very much distressed and stands in 

 need of ayde ; whereupon the credulous sellie birds do 

 flocke together presently at her call and voice, at what 

 time if any happen to approach neare her she out of hand 

 ceazeth on them, and devoureth them (ungrateful subtile 

 fowle !) in requital for their simplicity and pains. 



" Heare I ende of this hawke, because I neither 

 accompte her worthy the name of a hawke, in whom there 

 resteth no valour or hardiness, nor yet deserving to have 

 any more written upon her propertie and nature. For truly 

 it is not the property of any other hawke, by such devise 

 and cowardly will to come by their prey, but they love to 

 winne it by main force of wings at random, as the round- 

 winged hawkes doe, or by free stooping, as the hawkes of 

 the tower doe most commonly use as the falcon, gerfalcon, 

 sacre, merlyn and such-like." 



One of our summer visitors, the reed-warbler, is a 

 beautiful and ingenious little nest-builder. Arriving in 

 this country after the reeds are well grown and departing 

 before they are cut, it lives, as a rule, a happy, care-free 

 life. Still water and abundance of reeds provide this 

 delightful little bird with all the necessities for an enjoy- 

 able life ; for amongst the reeds it can find abundance of 

 food and material for its nest, together with a suitable 

 situation for its erection. The parent birds hunt the 

 reed-beds till they find three or four reeds growing fairly 

 close together. Having made this discovery, the work of 

 nest-building commences. First of all the leaves of dried 

 reeds are skilfully twined round the chosen reeds till they 



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