NOTES AND QUERIES. 33 



local experience, and may possibly be somewhat exceptional. — W. 



G-yngell (Scarborough). 



Pied Wagtail nesting in a Hedge. — On May 7th of last year 

 (1904), whilst searching a low laurel-hedge at Eichmond, Surrey, a 

 Pied Wagtail (Motacilla lugubris) flew out a few yards in front of me, 

 and I found its nest, containing five eggs, built in the fork of a laurel 

 barely four feet from the ground. The site was just such an one as a 

 Hedge- Sparrow or Linnet might have selected for its nest. The nest 

 itself was built of roots, and lined with hair, but was not so sub- 

 stantially constructed as is usual with the Wagtail. It contained five 

 eggs. I do not believe it was an adopted nest of Linnet or Greenfinch, 

 but that it was a genuine nest of the Wagtail, although possibly 

 hurriedly built through the bird having been disturbed from another 

 nest when just ready to lay. The young, I believe, hatched off safely, 

 and on June 19th I had another look to see if its second brood was 

 being reared in the same nest, but found it was in too filthy and 

 dilapidated a condition for further use, so looked around for it else- 

 where. Noticing a grass-root on a holly-hedge about ten yards away, 

 I followed it up, and found, as I expected, that it led to an old Black- 

 bird's nest, in which was the newly-built Wagtail's nest containing five 

 eggs. As it was in a private garden, I have no doubt that this brood 

 also got safely away. Since the foregoing note was penned I notice 

 that the Kev. F. C. Jourdain, in ' The Zoologist ' (1904, p. 421), men- 

 tions several instances of the Pied Wagtail building in other birds' 

 nests. I might therefore add that, besides the instance above men- 

 tioned, and the nest he refers to as having been found by me in 1902, 

 I found a Pied Wagtail's nest, in 1894, built in a Thrush's nest, and 

 containing six eggs, in the lower fork of an elm at Gunnersbury, about 

 a mile from here. — Robert H. Read (Bedford Park, W.). 



Birds building in other Birds' Nests. — The preceding note reminds 

 me that, besides the Pied Wagtail, many birds build or lay their eggs 

 in other birds' nests, some habitually, others only casually. The 

 following are some instances which I have met with myself : — 



Robin's nest built in Thrush's nest on ivied wall, containing four 

 Robin's eggs and one of a Cuckoo. Hedge-Sparrow's nest built in 

 Blackbird's nest in hedgerow. Spotted Flycatcher's nest, containing 

 three eggs, built in Blackbird's nest in hawthorn-bush in hedgerow. 

 Spotted Flycatcher's built in Mistle-Thrush's nest in apple-tree. Pied 

 Flycatcher's, containing five eggs, built over a Marsh Tit's, with three 

 eggs in hole in tree-stump. Greenfinch's, with one egg, in Blackbird's 

 in thorn-bush. House-Sparrow in House-Martin's nest. House- 

 Zool. 4th ser. vol. IX., January, 1905. v 



