324 
reflect the sun’s rays on it and its contents 
with a mirror in order to penetrate the 
darkness, the camera itself beimg tied in the 
boughs outside the hole. J am inclined to 
think that some of the sticks shown in the 
photograph may have lodged there before 
the owl commenced to nest, as there were 
jackdaws building close at hand. 
The next photograph is that of a soft 
little nest of the Sand 
Martin. In order to 
obtain a photograph of 
this it was first necessary 
to scrape away the sand 
until the extremity of 
the hole was reached; | 
then I had to stick one 
leg of the camera in the 
sandbank and affix long 
poles to the other legs; 
in this way I managed 
to get the camera high 
enough to expose the 
plate. 
Next comes the 
photograph of a Gold- 
finch’s nest, with its 
eggs. This particular 
nest was placed on a 
horizontal bough of an 
apple tree; but the 
goldfinch generally 
builds more at the end 
of the branch. Some- 
times the bird selects a 
yew tree; its nest is 
rarely found in hedge- 
rows. The one in the 
photograph was 
absolutely hidden from 
the sight of one 
standing below and 
looking up at the bough. 
The photograph of the Rook’s nest shows 
only two eggs, as it was taken before the 
birds had finished laying; there are generally 
four or five eges, but these too well 
known to need description. Perhaps every- 
one may not have thought why rooks so 
often: nest im the vicinity of old mansions 
and other buildings. I am inclined to think 
ave 
MOORHEN’S NEST. 
SKYLARK’S 
Animal Life 
it is on account of the old trees found 
around these old mansions; or perhaps they 
think man affords them more safety than 
if they were im uninhabited parts. They 
cement the sticks of them nests together 
with mud and clay, lined with grass and 
roots. 
In the Coot’s nest it will be noticed 
how wonderfully the rushes and sedges have 
been woven together to 
form a nest, and that 
great care has been taken 
in building it above the 
level of the water to 
prevent submersion should 
| the river rise. The ten 
eggs, of a stony colour 
speckled all over with a 
brown colour, are  dis- 
tinctly shown. 
The last photograph on 
page 523 shows a Swan 
on a nest composed of a 
large heap of dead and 
decaying sedges, reeds, 
rushes and dry flags, 
on which are deposited 
SIX OL seven eggs, 
generally about four 
and a half inches long, 
of a greenish-white 
cclour. The swan is 
a very close sitter, and 
is usually protected by 
its owners; but the one 
photographed was im a 
perfectly wild state. 
The nest of the Moor- 
hen is much smaller 
than the coot’s, and is 
not nearly so neatly 
made. It seems more 
after the swan’s style—a mass of aquatic 
weeds, ete., with a decided hollow to con- 
tain the eggs. When built in a dry place 
much less material is used; usually six to 
ten eggs are laid, of a  buthsh colour 
speckled with reddish-brown. 
The nest of the Skylark is composed of 
a little dry grass, and is sometimes lined 
with horsehair, or roots, but often neither 
NEST. 
