NEST OF THE SWALLOW, HAWK, WOOD-PECKER. 21 



Teach him, all violence is wrong — 

 A truth as useful as it's strong : 

 He must not rob the Sons of Song. 

 Nay, that the birds .should be as free, 

 As wisheth and expecteth He. 



the Baltimore oriole builds also on it in the American towns. 

 Tbe house-sparrow builds also very often in the ivy attached to 

 the walls of dwelling-houses : many nests of this bird were to 

 be seen among the ivy covering the front of a house in 

 Montpellier-row on Blackheath, September 1825. 



Swallows construct their nests externally of clay; they are 

 lined with straw and feathers. The favourite site of the swal- 

 low's nest is the interior and near the tops of chimneys; they, 

 however, occasionally build in other places. The Martin builds 

 its nest similarly to the swallow, but the entrance to it is more 

 confined: the usual place for martins' nests is under the eaves 

 of houses, particularly those whose walls are covered with 

 what is called roughcast, or in the corners of a stopped-up 

 window. 



The Wood-Pigeon's nest is made with only a few sticks, 

 merely sufficient to retain the eggs ; an extraordinary nest for 

 such a bird, when the habits of the domestic pigeon are consi- 

 dered. They generally build on trees. I have seen a wood- 

 pigeon's nest on a yew-tree; it is more frequently, I believe, 

 found on the elm or the fir. 



The Hawk's nest (Falco tinnunculus) or Kestril, is similar to 

 the wood-pigeon's : I have seen it on an apple-tree. 



The Wood-Pecker's nest is made in the trunk of some tree, a 

 hole in which the bird scoops out with his bill; the entrance is 

 round, and just large enough to admit the bird. 



Several of our English birds make their nests on the ground: 

 among these may be named the Skylark, the Partridge, the 

 Redbreast, &c. &c. ; and, of course, most of those having 

 palmate feet, as the Duck, Goose, Swan, &c. 



