158 THE BIRDS OF SUSSEX. 



across the interior. It is composed outwardly of sticks and 

 twigs of larchj spruce^ and birct ; all, as the swollen state of 

 their buds show, freshly plucked, as is also the grass -with 



which it is thickly lined In some nests a considerable 



quantity of earth, or rotten wood, underlies the lining, which 

 occasionally consists of hair-like lichen. Mr. Hancock, in 

 his ' Catalogue of the Birds of Northumberland and Durham ' 

 (p. 40), after giving an interesting account of a Nutcracker 

 which he kept six years in confinement, makes the following 

 remarks ; — " Its voice was very peculiar ; it had an extremely 

 harsh loud cry, resembling the noise produced by a ripping 

 saw while in full action. This cry was so loud that it could 

 be heard all over the house. It had also a sweet, low, delicate, 

 warbling song. This was uttered only when everything was 

 perfectly quiet. The song was much varied, and was con- 

 tinned for some time. So low and delicate was it, that it 

 could only be heard when the bird was close at hand, and 

 the note seemed as though it were produced low down in the 

 throat. The song was occasionally interrupted by a few low 

 creaking notes, like those produced when a corkscrew is 

 being used." 



HIRUNDINID^. 



SWALLOW. 



Hirundo rustica. 



The average date of the arrival of the Swallow in this county 

 is, according to notes kept by myself for more than thirty 

 years, the 6th of April, but they are seldom numerous till 

 about a week later. I once witnessed the, apparently, first 

 arrival of a considerable company of these birds, which settled 



