178 BIRDS' NESTS. 



dark olive brown, almost like bronze. It seems 

 almost a pity to take the egg of such a songster 

 as the nightingale, and so to have one bird less 

 next summer ; but as your collection will not 

 be complete without one, I suppose I must say 

 yes, provided that Joe does not consider that a 

 reason why he should take the rest/' 



" Oh, no, papa ! Joe does not collect eggs 

 now; since the day we took the nuthatch's nest, 

 he says he has not taken any nest, and he says 

 the eggs are of no use to him. He asked me 

 if I had a rook's egg, and told me such a funny 

 story about one." 



" And what may that have been ? " 

 " He said that the same day he came to our 

 orchard, Bill Johnson wanted him to go with 

 him to Mr. Long's rookery, but that he was 

 afraid, so Johnson told him to wait outside 

 while he went in. The rookery, you know, is 

 in the park, but close to the road, so that he 

 could see very well through the hedge what 

 was going on inside. Johnson climbed to the 



