374 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



there was a large nest in the same tree placed some twenty feet 

 below that of the Crows. This I concluded was the Kestrel's 

 nest. I was surprised to see nothing of the parent Crows, as it 

 was too early for the young birds to have flown. The next day, 

 however, the mystery was solved. I sent my groom up the tree 

 to get the Kestrel's eggs ; but on his climbing the tree we were 

 surprised to see a Kestrel leave the higher nest. This was found 

 to contain five very handsome Kestrel's eggs. My man had used 

 the lining of the nest to pack the eggs in, and this I found to 

 consist of the pen-feathers of the unfortunate young Crows. The 

 Kestrel had not only annexed the Crows' nest, but had evidently 

 eaten the young birds. Some three weeks later the female Kestrel 

 was shot by the owner of the land. I sent my man to examine 

 the nest again, and he found a second clutch of four eggs 

 exactly resembling the first clutch. I have both clutches in 

 my collection. 



In 1892 a fact came under my observation tending to prove 

 that Cuckoos hunt for nests wherein to deposit their eggs before 

 they are ready to be laid. My son informed me one day that he 

 knew where a Cuckoo was going to lay. He said he had seen a 

 Cuckoo fly out of a hedge, which on examination he found to con- 

 tain a Hedgesparrow's nest ready for eggs. The boy's expectation 

 was realised. He visited the nest repeatedly, and one day 

 announced that the Hedgesparrow had begun to lay. Three 

 days later he brought me the contents of the nest, consisting of 

 one Cuckoo's egg and the clutch of Hedgesparrow's eggs. 



I have at various times met with eggs of different species in 

 the same nest. I was once shown a Nuthatch's nest in a hole 

 in an apple tree close to a cottage door. On opening the hole 

 I found three Nuthatch's eggs, and four Coal Tit's eggs lying in 

 the nest of the latter bird. Beneath this was lying the Nut- 

 hatch's nest consisting of the usual collection of leaves, bark, &c. 

 The owner of the place said that a pair of Nuthatches had for 

 years nested in this hole, but this year it was taken possession of 

 by a pair of Coal Tits. Then the Nuthatches arrived and drove 

 the Tits away, and had evidently commenced to lay, when, for 

 some reason, the owner shot the female Nuthatch. The Tits then 

 returned and reoccupied the nest they had already built. 



In 1894 I found a Blue Tit's nest in a hole in an apple tree, 

 the female bird lying dead beneath it. My son cut out the nest, 



