32 BIRDS' NESTS 



by no means rarely selects some most unlikely spot 

 near or on man's dwelling for a nesting place. There 

 is in the Natural History Museum at South Kensing- 

 ton a nest of this bird built in the hollow hoof of a 

 horse. At Chatsworth, in Derbyshire, several pairs 

 of Sand Martins used regularly to nest in the breech 

 of the small cannons placed near the hunting tower. 

 This abnormal selection of a nesting site is by no 

 means confined to birds in civilised countries, for the 

 Snow Bunting has been known to make its nest in the 

 breast of a dead Esquimaux, the Cape Wagtail's nest 

 has been discovered in the skull of some unfortunate 

 Caffir ; whilst another Wren (Troglodytes furvus) in- 

 habiting South America is said habitually to nest in 

 skulls, doubtless of cattle, so plentiful in the Argen- 

 tine ; whilst the Hoopoe so frequently uses a hole in a 

 coffin in China for a nesting place that the Celestials 

 name it the " Coffin Bird." Finally we may draw 

 attention to the fact that in not a few instances some 

 of the shyest birds most unaccountably build their 

 nests in the most unlikely and frequented spots, and 

 in some species the habit is a perfectly normal one, 

 as for instance in the Misselthrush and the Eider 

 Duck. 



A few words now become necessary on the nest- 

 building sex. There is no universal rule in this 

 matter, but, broadly speaking, I should say the female 

 is the predominant architect. This is certainly the 

 case in not a few instances, where the nest is excep- 



