THE REDSTART. 79 



neighbourhood of old walls, on which he is constantly 

 alighting, to jerk his tail with regular beats, and view 

 you with alarm as you wander on. 



May is the Redstart's nesting season. We must not 

 seek his nest amongst the branches, nor yet amidst 

 the brambles or vegetation on the ground, but always in 

 some hole well protected from the external air: holes in 

 walls and trees are as a rule selected. The Woodpecker, 

 if the selected nesting-hole is not quite suitable, alters it 

 accordingly ; or, if holes be scarce, ofttimes making one 

 herself with her strong beak, but the Redstart does no 

 such thing. The graceful birch tree or mountain ash 

 very often affords a nesting-hole ; while in the old walls 

 nesting-sites occur in abundance, sometimes but a few 

 inches in depth at others several feet : it matters little. 

 The nest itself is a very slovenly piece of workmanship, 

 so loosely made in most cases, as to make it impossible 

 to remove it entire, yet it serves the purpose intended 

 most admirably. It is made of dry grass, moss, some- 

 times a little wool, and lined with hair and feathers. 

 The eggs are often six in number, though four or five 

 are most frequently found, and about the size of the 

 Hedge Accentor's, and, like them, blue and spotless ; but 

 they are not so deeply coloured, and much more polished, 

 and the shell, too, is more fragile than the eggs of that 

 bird. You may remove the eggs of the Redstart, and 

 yet she will continue laying, and seldom forsake the 

 nest. The same remarks will apply to the Starling ; 

 but this is not the case with most birds, for if their eggs 

 are taken, even only a part in some cases, the mother 

 bird is sure to forsake the nest and remaining eggs. 



All birds display not that deep feeling and anxiety 

 for their eggs as for their young, and I am satisfied in 

 my own mind that the loss of the eggs causes not half so 



