IGO 
PARID.E. 
depends much on locality and circumstances, as regards form 
and proportions. It generally consists of moss, grass, and 
stalks, and is lined with wool, horse or cow’s hair, and 
feathers, and generally loosely put together. We lately 
saw a nest of this species, taken under rather curious circum¬ 
stances. A young companion with whom we were walking, 
observed that he knew where there was a nest, as he had seen 
a bird drop from the trees above into a hole, which he pointed 
out, in a stump imbedded in the bank by the road side. 
He climbed along the bank to it, and found that the hole, 
which was in the remains of a felled tree, was too small to 
admit the entrance of his hand ; consequently, he put in 
a stick to feel what might be within, and, finding something 
soft, he twisted the stick, in the manner boys do to get 
a nest out of a narrow hole, and succeeded in bringing up a 
nest composed of wool and grasses, and having two eggs 
entangled by the process in its folds. Encouraged by his 
success, he then with his knife enlarged the hole a little, 
and put in his hand as far as he could reach, and just within 
his arm’s length he felt more eggs at the bottom ; after 
having succeeded in bringing out eight more, one by one, 
he felt something running up his arm, and drawing it hastily 
out, he saw the tail of a bird, which was endeavouring to 
conceal itself in a side recess in the old stem. The affec¬ 
tionate little creature had, therefore, remained until all her 
eggs were taken av/ay, and even then would not leave the 
spot, but suffered herself to be taken prisoner with them, 
although she might easily have made her own escape. We 
set the parent at liberty, but thought, after the alarm she 
had had, it was in vain to replace the nest and eggs with 
any hope that she would again return to them. This nest 
is an exceedingly well built one, composed of tufts of dry 
grass with long flowering stems, and green moss externally, 
and lined with wool, and hair, and rabbits’ down. 
