146 YELLOW-HAMMER. 



ford, mentions in the second volume of the "Naturalist," 

 old series, page 274, his having on one occasion, on 

 the 29th. of May, 1834, found the nest at the height 

 of seven feet from the ground, in a broom tree. Mr. 

 Hewitson too, found one at a height of six feet from 

 the ground in a spruce fir, and Mr. M. C. Cooke has 

 informed me of one found near Swanscombe, in a bush 

 at a height of twelve feet. 



The eggs, from three to four or five, and occasionally 

 six in number, are of a pale purple white colour, streaked 

 and speckled with dark reddish brown; the streaks fre- 

 quently ending in spots of the same colour. Some have 

 been known of a red colour, with reddish brown streaks 

 and lines, others quite white, others entirely of a stone- 

 colour, and others again of a stone-colour, marbled in 

 the usual way. In a nest in which was one egg of 

 the ordinary size, there were two others of the Lillipu- 

 tian dimensions of those of the Golden-crested Wren. 

 The young are seldom able to fly before the second 

 week in June, being about a fortnight after they have 

 been hatched; they keep together at night for a short 

 time before they finally separate. Two broods are 

 occasionally reared in the year. 



