ON THE NESTING OT THE NUTHATCH. 43 
being soaked with rain, the clay lining fell on the nest and broke 
one egg. 
At Hackford, on or about the 29th of June, I saw a hollow 
ornamental iron gate-post, which was lined half-way up with clay 
by Nuthatches, and about half filled with their nest, which I was 
unable to examine farther. 
At Fritton Decoy (Suffolk), on April 26th, I saw a Nuthatch’s 
nest very high up in one of the large arms of a huge oak tree; the 
hole seemed to have been bored by Picus major, but was 
practically so inaccessible that I did not try to climb up to it. 
Near Sparham, on the 8th of May, 1876, I saw three 
Nuthatches’ nests in oak and ash trees. One, in an old nesting 
hole of Picus major in an oak, contained eleven eggs. The 
second nest contained young birds. Both nests had the usual 
bed of pine bark, and very hard clay lining reducing the size of 
the entrance, so that there was barely room for the Nuthatch to 
go in or out. In the same oak containing the nest of eleven 
Nuthatches’ eggs was a fresh nest of Picus major, which (on the 
19th May) contained four eggs, sat on. The third Nuthatch’s 
nest, also in an old hole of Picus major, was usurped by 
Starlings. 
At Sparham, on the following day, in a wooden box lined with 
clay, I found a Nuthatch’s nest of pine bark, containing nine 
Nuthatches’ eggs and two or three Redstarts’ eggs at the same 
time. The eggs were covered with thin scales of pine-bark. 
I do not remember seing either the Nuthatch or the Redstart on 
this nest, and it was unfortunately robbed-before I visited it 
again. 
At Foxley, May 28rd, 1876, a Nuthatch’s nest, which I found 
in a hollow place in an oak tree, consisted of dead leaves and 
birch bark. There are no pine trees near this place. This nest 
contained three fresh eggs, which were afterwards forsaken. My 
diary does not record any clay for this nest, and I do not 
remember seeing any in it. Mugs 
At “The Islands,” in the parish of Dilham, May 27th, 1876, 
I saw a Nuthatch’s nest in an ash tree in a hole where Picus 
major hatched off last year. This Nuthatch’s nest contained 
seven white eggs, like those of Picus minor, except that two were 
very slightly spotted. The entrance was lined with clay. In the 
bottom of the hole, below the bed of pine bark of the Nuthatch’s 
