172 BRITISH BIRDS. 



one and well worth reading. One or two apparent exceptions 

 occur to us : the House-Sparrow builds a domed nest in the 

 open or else breeds in a hole, yet the clutch is not a large one 

 as a rule, and four is a much commoner number than five in 

 some districts. The Brambling, which frequently lays seven 

 eggs, the Great Grey Shrike, which has been known to lay as 

 many as nine eggs, and the Red-backed Shrike, which often 

 lays seven and occasionally eight, may be quoted as instances of 

 birds which rear large families in open nests above the ground, 

 while on the other hand the clutches in the genera Cisticola , 

 Prinia, and Scotocerca are small, although the nests are roofed 

 in. Mr. Moffat suggests that the Dipper's nest is covered as 

 a protection from the spray, and possibly that of the House 

 Martin served the same purpose when built on sea-cliffs. 



F. C. R. J. 



The Use of the Wings and Feet by Diving Birds. — 

 Under this heading Dr. C. W. Townsend contributes to the 

 "Auk" (1909, pp. 234-248) a useful article bringing together 

 the observations of a number of naturalists upon this point. 



