492 HOMES ■WITHOUT HANDS. 



warm a nest, she will pass into the interior, and hatch her young 

 under the protection of the roof. This plan, however, she does 

 not follow, preferring to take up her abode on the very top of the 

 nest, exposed to all the elements. She takes very little trouble 

 about preparing her hoilie, but merely works a suitable depres- 

 sion upon the soft dome, lays her eggs in it, and there hatches 

 them. 



The reader will remember that there are several birds which 

 form a supplementary nest upon the exterior of the original dom- 

 icile, and the'parasitic nest of the Batikin is evidently an exten- 

 sion of the same principle. 



In England we have many parasitic birds, one of which is the 

 common Sparrow-hawk {Accipiter Nisus), which is in the habit 

 of usurping the nest of the common crow, magpie, or other bird, 

 and laying its handsome eggs therein. 



"Whether it forcibly drives away the rightful owner, or whether 

 it contents itself with a nest which has already been abandoned, 

 is not precisely known, different naturalists inclining to opposite 

 opinions. In all probability, therefore, both disputants are right, 

 and the Sparrow-hawk takes a deserted nest when it can find 

 one, and, when it can not do so, attacks birds which are in actual 

 possession of a suitable nest, and takes possession of their home. 

 In such a case the combat must be a sharp one, for both crow 

 and magpie are courageous birds, nothing inferior in determina- 

 tion to their assailant, and armed with bUls which are much 

 larger, and quite as formidable as that of the Sparrow-hawk. 



The Kestrel {Tinnunculus alaudarius) is also in the habit of 

 laying its eggs in the nests of other birds, and may possibly eject 

 the rightful owner by main force. This opinion is rendered 

 probable by a fact mentioned by Mr. Peachey in the " Zoologist." 

 A man was passing a tree, and hearing a loud screaming proceed- 

 ing from a nest at the summit, he had the curiosity to climb the 

 tree. The screams still continued, and on putting his hand into 

 the nest, he found two birds struggling, the uppermost of which 

 he caught. This proved to be a Kestrel ; and, as soon as it was 

 secured, the other bird, which was a magpie, flew out, evidently 

 having been worsted by its antagonist. 



Then there is the well-known Starling {8turnus vulgaris), 

 which is a notably parasitic bird, delighting to take the nests of 

 the jackdaw, pigeon, and other birds, and to use them as its own. 



