30 BRITISH BIRDS’ EGGS. 
In his ‘Birds of Sherwood Forest,’ pp. 67, 68, Mr. 
W. J. Stirling records the taking of nests of this species 
as follows :— 
“My first acquaintance with it was the discovery, on 
May 17th, 1854, of a nest in a thorn hedge by the side 
of the road leading from Ollerton to Edwinstowe. It was 
placed about four and a half feet from the ground, and 
was constructed of dry bents, intermingled with a little 
moss, and lined with hair. When I found it, it contained 
four eggs; had it remained undisturbed, I have no doubt 
they would have increased to the usual number of six, as 
the female was on the nest. As it was, I appropriated 
them as a valuable addition to my collection. This, 
however, was not a solitary instance, for two years later, on 
May 18th, 1856, another nest was taken from the same 
hedge, near the place from which I had taken the previous 
one ; it contained one egg, which was brought by the finder 
to me. A third nest was taken the next day at Ollerton ; 
it was placed in the side of a cattle hovel, amongst the 
thorns with which the upright framework was interlaced, 
and was constructed of dry grass only, and lined, as were 
the others, with hair. 
“The second nest had moss mixed with the grass, like the 
first.” It is singular that these nests were placed in situa- 
tions so different from those authors describe as usually 
frequented by them.” 
Mr. Harting, who kindly referred me to the foregoing 
instances of the taking of the nest of the Black Redstart, 
has published his belief (‘ The Field,’ 1874, p. 200) that 
the specific name of this bird is derived from the Greek 
adjective tiéos (domesticated), the bird being frequently seen 
perching on house-tops and garden walls, and building in 
holes and crannies in the neighbourhood of man’s dwelling. 
