CONCEALED OR COVERED NESTS 123 



tained in the genera Siphia and Cyornis. Again, 

 some of tlie Redstarts depart from what is, perhaps, 

 their more normal choice of a site in a wall or rock 

 crevice, and place their homes in holes of trees, 

 never, however, excavating these for themselves. 

 Starlings again very commonly resort to holes in 

 timber for nesting purposes, but these birds are very 

 adaptive, and seem ever ready to avail themselves of 

 any covered nook in which their slovenly cup-shaped 

 nest can be concealed. Likewise the Sparrows 

 (Passer) are just as eager to take possession of any 

 suitable hole in timber for a nest site, and this 

 peculiarity is by no means confined to the common 

 British House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), for the 

 Tree Sparrow (P. montanus, is just as adaptive, breed- 

 ing indiscriminately in holes in timber, in walls and 

 cliffs, in deserted nests of Crows and Magpies, as well 

 as under eaves and amongst thatch ; whilst in China 

 another Mountain Sparrow (P. rutilans) evinces the 

 same partiality for holes in trees. Still more remark- 

 able, Mr J. Davidson records (Ibis, 1898, p. 18) that 

 the nest of Phylloscopus occipitalis is often placed in 

 holes of trees, as well as in holes in rocks, banks and 

 even in the ground or under stones — cup-shaped 

 structures made of green moss. Precisely the same 

 remarks apply to the Scops Owl (Scops scops), holes 

 in timber being preferred, but if not readily obtain- 

 able the bird contents itself with holes in walls. 

 Passing allusion may also be made to the various 



