BIRDS' NESTS. 211 



other ; but still the loving and faithful couple 

 remained in precisely the same spot where the 

 junction of two hedgerows formed a corner, 

 and we therefore concluded, naturally enough, 

 that in that spot all their hopes were centered. 

 But a close and minute investigation of the 

 whole corner, during which time we laid the 

 ground completely bare, revealed nothing to 

 us. At length, a full hour after the commence- 

 ment of our labours, I hit upon the nest by 

 mere chance, at exactly the opposite end to 

 that at which the reed buntings had been, 

 and still were, prosecuting their winnings and 

 manoeuvres, which now proved beyond a doubt, 

 what I had never before suspected, that the 

 birds had been all the time endeavouring to 

 attract our attention towards them instead of 

 towards the nest." 



CHAFFINCH. Frwgilla coelebs. 



PLATE XYITI. FIG. 2. 



FEW nests surpass that of the Chaffinch, 

 either in elegance, selection of materials, or 

 P2 



