BIRDS' NESTS 105 



Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Greater and Lesser 

 WKitethroats, and Sedge Warbler, build quite 

 frail nests, composed of fine, dry grasses, and 

 perhaps lined with hair, but the Reed Warbler and 

 the Marsh Warbler construct more substantial 

 homes, and display considerable ingenuity in at- 

 taching them to the herbage in which they are 

 secreted. 



The Robin loves a tangled bank, and often 

 contrives to hide its snug little homestead very 

 successfully, but an obliging tomato tin, an old 

 tin can, an old shoe, or even an old coat will not 

 come amiss to this favourite bird. The Brown 

 Wren, too, places its nest in many peculiar situa- 

 tions, such as in an old sack or other article, 

 among a bundle of old horseshoes (which did noty 

 by the way, bring the birds " good luck "), among 

 bracken, in a furze bush, in an old fence or gate, 

 and even in a scarecrow! The Wren seems to 

 build more nests than are necessary, but exactly 

 why this is has not yet been satisfactorily ex- 

 plained. Its near relative, the Gold Crest, sus- 

 pends its beautiful little mossy cradle underneath 

 the pliant branches of a Fir tree, whilst the 

 Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Long-tailed Tit, and Hedge 

 Sparrow largely use moss, lichens, hair, and 

 feathers, and are to be numbered among the most 

 wonderful feathered architects we possess. 



Nobody can look at the globular ball of the 



