Mr. A. Newton on the Breeding of the Nutcracker. 69 



Believing, however, that the Pastor will himself publish fuller 

 details of this interesting capture, I will only briefly recount the in- 

 formation with which he has supplied me. 



It appears that, previously to the summer of ,1860, a forester in 

 the island of Bornholm had satisfied himself that the Nutcracker 

 was in the habit of breeding there annually. He had seen it every 

 month in the year from May to November inclusive ; and this intel- 

 ligence being communicated to Herr Theobald, that gentleman made 

 an expedition to the island, but without finding the special object of 

 his search — a nest of the bird. This present spring, however, the 

 Pastor, accompanied by two of his friends, HH. Erichseu and Fischer, 

 both keen oologists, visited Bornholm a second time ; and one of 

 their achievements 1 have now the pleasure of making known to 

 you. Writing from that island, on the 30th of May last, Herr 

 Theobald says : — 



" Returning to the result of our ornithological expedition, I can 

 tell you that, after many days' inquiries, we succeeded in finding two 

 nests of Caryocatactes, the young birds flying near them. As we 

 presumed, we came too late for getting the eggs ; but I think we 

 have advanced a good deal, and after this discovery we dare be almost 

 sure of receiving them next year. Our gentle and clever host, the 

 forester Rosen, who now knows the time and manner of nidification 

 of this bird, may be considered a guarantee for our hopes. 



" We have thought it might be of interest to you to possess an 

 undoubtedly genuine nest of Caryocatactes, and also a young bird 

 in the first plumage ; we therefore send you one nest and one skin. 

 Both the nests are of the same size and construction. They were in 

 fir-trees (Pitius rubra), not very private, but rather easy to find. 

 It is likely that the young birds had left the nest perhaps eight days. 

 None of them moved, except with difficulty, among the branches ; and 

 one of them fell on the ground. The old birds cried, but only some- 

 times, with an anxious voice that was not unlike a Magpie's, and 

 then all was silent again. In the neighbourhood of the nest, where 

 the birds had been previously observed, we found on the rocky 

 ground a good number of freshly cracked hazel-nuts ; and as no nut- 

 trees grow there, the birds must fetch them from a distance of an 

 English mile at least. We are inclined to think that they collect 

 them in autumn and secure them in a private spot ; and perhaps it is 

 on this account also that the bird, whose economy is very hidden, is 

 seldom to be seen in the breeding- time. 



" As I have already mentioned, the nest is not of the most difli- 

 cult class to find. It is not built on the top [of the tree], but close 

 to the stem, about 25 or 30 feet high. The bird is an early breeder, 

 but can scarcely have eggs before the beginning of April. 



" Now you have the nest wherein the young birds were lately 

 hatched, and a young bird in its first plumage. Next year we hope 

 to send you very well authenticated eggs." 



I have only to conclude by mentioning that the nest, as will be 

 seen on examination, is of large size, some five or six inches in thick- 

 ness, with an outside diameter of about a foot, and a shallow depres- 



