248 ARMITT: WALLS AND WALL-NESTERS. 
hen courted and won—silently exploring holes in a stretch of wall, 
popping in and out with joyous zeal to find a comfortable aperture. 
The hen may occasionally be caught building. The nest is made of 
stuff got close at hand, oftenest moss of the very kinds that cling 
to the wall in which it is placed; but I have known oak leaves, of 
the large Scarlet Oak, mainly used. Soft hairs pad it, and 
fibrous roots and frequently pretty fluffs of lamb’s wool or bits of 
fern. The hen is so nervous, that should her eye be exposed 
when sitting to the passer-by, she will often flit off her nest 
before him, though she is indistinguishable herself in the cool 
shadow; and then the nest is sure eventually to be robbed. 
Hidden in a deep crevice, however, such as is generally chosen, she 
is less agitated and therefore safe ; and everything goes well till the 
time the young birds get strong, and need incessant attention from 
both the parents. Then they have a perilous time of it, if they are 
on a public road. No birds are more nervous, more fussy and 
excitable under notice, when they have food to deliver.* Unlike 
the calm Chaffinch, who does but—when he comes back to his nest 
with a nice fat caterpillar and finds a watcher by—eat it up himself, 
and then, after cleaning his beak, flies off again, leaving the watcher 
no wiser than before, these birds flit round with food in beaks, 
crying distressfully, unable to leave. Neither will they, while the 
watcher’s gaze is directly on them, enter the hole and betray the 
were in an ash tree that overhung a wall, where clearly their 
nest-hole was, crying with impatience while I lingered to compare 
their cries. I had put up my field-glasses to scan better the features 
of the dun hen, when, as I dropped them, I perceived the male bird 
in the act of flitting away from the wall and disappearing carelessly: 
He had, it was certain, deposited his burden of food while my gaze 
was concentrated on his mate. I thought then that the hen would 
follow his lead if I kept statue-like. But, no! back and forth she 
flitted in the ash, crying ‘hoo-ie,’ but never daring to drop to the 
wall while I stood there. This went on till the male came back 
with more food ; and then, embcldened by his late cunning, he flew 
straight in to the hole under my very eyes, and thus betrayed It. 
Then I was able to follow as far as the masonry, and peeping mtd 
the right tunnel, to see a little crowd of speckled, bright-eye 
youngsters, almost ready for flight. Ce 
<1 iets. sien. watchod tek feeding their nestlings on a great highways 
crowded through some hours of the day with traffic; and they are then m 
more guarded, and wonderfully adroit and quiet. Naricsiists 
