462 



12 



these young ones had a little greyish white down on the head and back, and the shafts of the 

 wing-quills just commenced to show. On the 23rd March, 1864, however, a nest containing 

 four fresh eggs (subsequently sent to Professor Newton) was found. On the 15th of April, 1865, 

 a nest with three incubated eggs was found, these being the eggs we sent to you ; and on the 

 30th April the same year, another nest with four fresh eggs (now in Mr. Theobald's collection) 

 was found. In 1866 none were found ; but on the 12th April, 1867, a nest with four eggs (now 

 in Mr. Fischer's collection) was taken; on the 21st March, 1868, one with five eggs (now in 

 Mr. Erichsen's collection), in 1869 one with five eggs (now in my own collection), and on the 

 19th April, 1870, another with five eggs (in Mr. Erichsen's collection) were found. In 1871 

 again none were found; but on the 27th April, 1872, a nest containing four eggs was taken; and 

 these are also now in my collection. Having now had an opportunity of examining thirty-four 

 eggs, out of eight nests, three uninjured nests, and three young birds, I will with this material, 

 together with what notes I have taken, give you the result of my observations. 



" The Nutcracker is a noisy, fearless, sometimes foolishly trustful bird, which during the 

 breeding-season, however, is so altered in its habits that it becomes silent, and so shy and quiet 

 in its movements, that a casual observer would consider that its breeding-haunts were deserted 

 in the spring and summer season ; and this is probably the reason why its nest, which cannot be 

 mistaken for that of any other bird, is so se^om observed or taken, although it is often, as on 

 Bornholm, built close to paths or roads. The nest is, as stated, placed in a pine tree, from ten 

 to thirty feet above the ground, usually on a bare branch, and resting against the main trunk, 

 under the top of the tree, which acts as a roof, or sometimes in the green top of the tree itself. 

 From being built against the trunk it is more or less oblong ; and three nests, A, B, and C, the 

 two former being now in my collection, and C being the one I sent to Professor Newton, measure 

 as follows : — Nest A, taken April 15th, 1865 : outside measurement 280 and 330 millimetres in 

 diameter, 150 high; inside, 105 in diameter, 50 deep. Nest B, taken April 19, 1870: outside, 

 250 and 400 in diameter, 125 high; inside, 100 in diameter, 30 deep. Nest C, taken May 23rd, 

 1862 : outside, 260 and 360 in diameter, 156 high ; inside 40 deep, — all these measurements 

 being in millimetres. From these it will be seen that the cup of the nest is small in proportion 

 to the entire structure, which is composed of twigs of birch, larch, &c, and interwoven with 

 lichens, especially Bamalina polymorpha, Ach., and in one nest Usnea harbata, Linn. Many of 

 the twigs are covered with lichens ; and some of the birch twigs are quite fresh, and are covered 

 with buds. On this foundation there is a tolerably thick (65 to 70 millimetres) bed of earth of 

 a light grey colour, which seems to have been collected in an adjoining field; this earth is not 

 worked into a solid substance with the bird's spittle and clay, as in most nests in the construction 

 of which earth is used, but is loose, and on being analysed proved to consist chiefly of sand 

 containing a deal of iron and the rotten mould of decayed wood. The inside lining of nest A 

 consists entirely of Usnea harbata, whereas in nest B it is mixed with bast and dry grasses, and 

 in both nests there is a layer of dry grass, on which the eggs are placed. The third (nest C), in 

 Professor Newton's possession, resembles nest B ; but as it was carefully described by Mr. Fischer 

 in the ' Naturhistorisk Tidsskrift,' Band ii. p. 62, I need give no further description of it. It 

 seems that the eggs are deposited (as far as those found on Bornholm are concerned) from the 

 middle of March to the end of April ; and the difference in time does not appear to be dependent 



