196 THE WILD-DUCK. 



of a Rook's nest at the top of an oak tree. The 

 Drake was also seen to perch on a bough near her, 

 and occasionally in her absence sat on the nest. 



This is not a solitary instance of birds usually 

 building on the ground, giving an accidental prefer- 

 ence to another and apparently unnatural situation. 

 At Caistor, in Norfolk, a Bantam Hen was observed 

 to fly into the branches of a spruce-fir, and take 

 possession of a "Wood-Pigeon's nest, about fourteen 

 feet from the ground; there she laid five eggs, 

 and no doubt would have hatched her brood, had 

 not the nest been unfortunately destroyed ; neither 

 would there have been any danger to the young 

 ones, as it is a well-known fact, that chickens, soon 

 after they are hatched, may fall from a height of 

 several feet without sustaining injury. 



In the Preserves of the Zoological Gardens, in 

 the Regent 's-park, London, we saw the nest of a 

 Wild-Duck on the roof of a thatched cottage by the 

 water-side. The keeper was ordered to keep a 

 good look-out, in order to see how the young ones 

 would contrive to reach the ground ; but they 

 eluded his watchfulness by disappearing one morn- 

 ing, when he and his family were absent at church. 

 It is, indeed, difficult to account for the exceptions 

 to the accustomed habits of Wild-Ducks : we should 

 suppose, that naturally they would prefer a conve- 

 nient spot close to the water, and in such places their 

 nests are usually built. Once, indeed, to our sur- 

 prise, a nest was found in a patch of high grass, within 

 a few feet of the spot where a boat was drawn up ; 

 and either so closely had the Duck sat, or so 

 cleverly had she timed her visits to and fro, that it 



