Birds. 7383 



a little above the liole in the wall, and on one side of it. A pair of house mavtios at 

 once selected the pulley over which the rope first passes for the foundation of their 

 nest ; and although at this time the bell was almost constantly used as a signal for 

 the hours of meals, they persevered, apparently quite fearless of the noise, or of the 

 motion either of it or of the cord, which passed over the pulley and under or through 

 the bottom of the nest. It was very interesting to watch these amusing birds dili- 

 gently pursuing their conjugal duties and preparing for their future progeny in such 

 a situation, and mortifying to see them, before long, expelled by a pair of common 

 sparrows, who soon filled the nest with hay and feathers, and, usurpers as they were, 

 proceeded to perform similar duties in their ill-gotten habitation But perhaps the most 

 remarkable pnrt of the story remains to be told. After the sparrows had been some 

 time in quiet possession, I observed about daybreak, on several succeeding mornings, 

 a scratching and pulling at the cord, which was hanging down about six feet in my 

 room, and without a knot at the end. This did not excite much notice, as I thought 

 it was merely an act of playfulness on the part of the birds outside, or perhaps the 

 action of their claws at the bottom of the nest, where the cord passed through it ; but 

 what was my surprise one day, on looking for the bell-rope, to see that it was gone, 

 and to find it hanging down by the wall outside. These little creatures had, with 

 amazing perseverance and industry, and, one would suppose, by a combined effort, 

 drawn this length of the cord up through the wall, and so got rid of what was to them 

 no doubt a source of annoyance. We restored the rope to its former place, and 

 this time took the precaution to tie a knot at the end, to prevent the possibility of a 

 similar occurrence. Still, determined not to be altogether defeated even by this expe- 

 dient, the birds soon had the rope drawn up again as far as the knot would permit 

 them ; and, as if to tell us that it should no longer answer our purpose, they curiously 

 twisted it round the iron frame in which the bell is suspended, so as totally to deprive 

 us of the power of using it. After this we removed the nest, and again restored the 

 rope to its proper position, since which neither sparrows nor martins have interfered 

 with its operations. I have sometimes regretted that we did not rather sacrifice our 

 own convenience than disturb these little laborious creatures, who had afforded so 

 much amusement to ourselves and our friends. — Jonathan Grubb. 



Occurrence of the Hatcfinch at Banjf. — lu the afternoon of the 29th of December, 

 while looking out of a window in the Hall belonging to the Literary Society here, I 

 saw, in a pear tree in the garden at the back, a bird accompanied by a robin. On a 

 nearer approach the stranger turned out to be a hawfinch. It appeared to be pecking 

 at the buds, whilst robin stood by watching his movements. After remaining about 

 half an hour it went into another garden a little farther off. — Thomas Edward ; 

 December 8, 1860. 



Nesting of the Crossbill (Loxia curviroslra) in the County of Durham. — I procured 

 a nest with three eggs of this species, from a woodman of the name of Grundy. He 

 took it on the 1st of March, 1856, near Crawcrook, Durham, in a spruce fir. It was 

 placed near the top, and about eighteen inches from the stem. The female bird was 

 observed carrying building materials on the 24th of February, and was traced to the 

 nest ; she was accompanied by the male. ^Both birds were shot, and I had the satis- 

 faction of seeing them. This is, I believe, the first lime thai the nesl of the crossbill 

 has been taken in this neighbourhood. Grundy, later in the same year, took another 

 nest with eggs of this bird, not far from the same locality. This nest is in the 

 possession of Mr. T. Robson, of Winlaton Mill. — John Hancock, in ^ Irausaclions 

 of the Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club,' iv. 59. 



