ARMITT: WALLS AND a 251 
literally dancing in the air over a ruined cottage, like toy-birds strung 
to a vibrating elastic, uttering most distressful cries, while a long- 
backed weasel scaled with ease the ladder of stones and crept to its 
helpless prey, whose parents were powerless to save them 
he Wheatear’s nest, on the other hand, is usually far from 
dwelling-place of man. Once, indeed, I saw a Wheateat feed its 
young in a wall that faced a country railway-siding, where the iron- 
soil that stood in laden trucks had bestrewn the place and the birds’ 
feathers too with a uniform red tinge. But that was an exception. 
The Wheatear loves the wildest bit of fell-side pasture here, where 
low down in some ‘dry’ boundary wall he and his wife fix up their 
nursery and cushion it — 
the birds that consistently follow the ‘waller,’ as 
Lakeland builder is aie and that trust their nesting-fortunes 
almost wholly to his handiwork. But others there are that take 
si 
The eects even, a veritable arboreal sae will occasion- 
ally bring up its young in the cool recesses of stone. A nest was 
once shown to me, in the quiet back of a stable, verde by trees, 
where again next year a nest was placed, doubtless by the same pair. 
If the bird perseveres in this habit, it may be, in the dearth of hole- 
ridden trees, the salvation of its species. It may eventually become, 
when woods are gone, not the Tree but the Wall-creeper. Already it 
practises a little in this direction ; and it may be caught ambling up 
our moss-laden walls sometimes in search of food. To be sure, on 
this uneven, jutting ground, its tail is hardly such a comfort to it as 
on smooth tree-bole; but, doubtless, in time it would arrange all 
that and accommodate its tail to circumstance. 
So tempting are our walls that I have seen the lovely moss cup 
of Chaffinch’s nest, and even the skilfully-woven one of the Thrush, 
Placed on jutting moss-grown slab of stone. 
t and most interesting is the case of the Pied Flycatcher. In 
three different seasons have I seen this bird pass in and out 
pasling holes intent on a nesting-site, and twice in full use of it. 
these were high and out of reach, two in the same barn but on 
different sides (doubtless the occupiers were the same pair or their 
late descendants), one in the back of an empty dwelling- 
a closely shaded. Two other nests in walls I have been told 
Of. Now there is evidence that this beautiful bird is on-the increase. 
: Tt is clear that the tree-holes natural to it for breeding purposes are 
to get, since it has to contest them with Titmice, which are far 
oe And it may be possible that wall-holes (which surely must 
ae = than hollow trees!) may not be wholly congenial to it. 
