THE ZooLoGisT—JANUARY, 1875. 4291 
crannies, as if bent on concealing from me the one she had chosen ; 
but so soon as I retired where I could watch her unseen, she 
entered it at once; and for more than a week continued to carry 
into this dark recess a large mass of nesting-stuff, consisting of 
small twigs, moss, grasses, hairs, and feathers, with which I 
supplied her to make her choice. Unfortunately, from the con- 
struction of the rock-work itself, and the smallness of the aperture 
leading to the nest, I could neither see in nor insert my hand far 
enough to ascertain its exact position, or whether any eggs were 
really laid; but, as soon after she ceased to carry in materials, she 
was not visible for some hours in the day, and when she did 
appear began feeding directly, I have no doubt that eggs were 
laid, and that she sat close for some time,—certainly up to the 4th 
of July, when I was obliged to leave home for some weeks. On my 
return, about the 10th of August, I found both old birds consorting 
with others of their species, as in winter, and the nest evidently 
deserted; but whether any young were hatched, and destroyed by 
mice in the interior of the rock-work, or the water from the 
fountain had an effect upon the sitting bird and her eggs, I 
cannot say. I only hope another year, as both birds are still alive, 
to give a more satisfactory report. The actions of the female, 
when endeavouring to carry in small twigs through the narrow 
opening, were highly amusing, as*she would persist in carrying» : 
them crosswise in her bill, and the twigs, being longer than the 
hole was wide, barred her entrance, so that, in her attempts to 
force her way in after this fashion, the unyielding stick would 
often drive her backwards, and this again and again, until, by 
chance, she changed her hold, so as to drag it in with, or rather 
after, herself. The nesting of this bird in confinement is, I believe, 
an unusual circumstance. 
Nests of Blue Tits and Missel Thrushes.—A blue tit’s nest was 
found this summer, at Ranworth, built into the crown of a cabbage 
' plant in a kitchen garden; and in two instances I have heard of 
missel thrushes appropriating small articles, such as lace and 
collars, hung out after washing, which were built into their nests 
with other materials. 
Pied Wagtails building on a Thrush’s Nest.—On the 3rd of 
June a friend showed me a pied wagtail’s nest built into a deserted 
nest of a song thrush in a laurel bush, and on which the female 
wagtail was then sitting. Soon after he informed me that he 
