THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



83 



especially those of Hickling and Horsey. 

 Wicken Fen seems to be a likely place for 

 it, but I have sought for it there in vain, 

 and Mr. Bond who has known the fen for 

 nearly fifty years, never saw it or heard of 

 being there. It frequents margins of fresh- 

 water ponds and fen dykes where reeds 

 grow abundantly, and is seen to be very 

 lively, running up and down the reed stems 

 with great agility, not often taking to the 

 wing on being disturbed, but running quickly 

 down the reed stem into the thick cover. 

 Morris, on the authority of the late Mr. 

 Wm. Eddison, states that it is not uncommon 

 near Huddersfield, but this is a mistake, I 

 am not aware that it has ever occurred there. 



Abroad. — It is found in almost every 

 suitable European country, especially Hol- 

 land; also in France, Switzerland and 

 Turkey, rare in the latter country ; it has 

 also been met with in Asia Minor. 



Nest.— Mr Hoy describes the nest as 

 being " composed on the outside with the 

 dead leaves of reeds and sedges, intermixed 

 with a few pieces of grass, and invariably 

 lined with the top of the reed, somewhat in 

 the manner of the nest of the Reed Wren, 

 but not so compact in the interior ; it is 

 generally placed on a tuft of coarse grass 

 or rushes, near the ground, on the margin 

 of the dykes in the fen ; also sometimes 

 fixed among the reeds that are broken down, 

 but never suspended between the stems.'' 

 Mr. Mark Pybus writes " I possess a good 

 series of nests with clutches of eggs, taken 

 in the Norfolk Broads. They are composed 

 externally of dead aquatic grasses, and 

 lined with the tops of the reed. They vary 

 much in size and are loosely constructed, 

 and it is difficult to keep the materials in 

 position after the nest is taken from its 

 site." The nest is begun towards the end 

 of April. 



EgSS. — The number of Eggs are stated 

 by Mr. Hoy to vary from four to six, and 



very rarely seven. They are white, more 

 polished than those of the other Tits, and 

 marked with dark brown lines, thus differing 

 from all other Tits, both in the eggs and 

 make and position of the nest. Mr. Newman 

 suggests that from these characters this 

 bird seems more nearly to resemble the 

 buntings. 



A VISIT 

 TO RAINWORTH LODGE, 

 NOTTS. 



By S. L. Mosley. 



When in my entomological youth, in 

 1872, I first started on a journey to Sherwood 

 Forest, I fancied I was making a journey 

 which seldom came to the lot of mortal man. 

 When I had first seen Mr. Bond's splendid 

 collection of varieties of British Birds, I had 

 a feeling that I had seen [all that the most 

 ardent ornithologist could desire to see. 

 But I have passed one or two standards 

 since then, and am just beginning to learn 

 how little I know, and that however beauti- 

 ful or complete a collection may be, there 

 are always charming beauties somewhere 

 which it does not contain. 



It was therefore with great delight I learnt 

 some months ago, that at Rainworth Lodge, 

 the residence of J. Whitaker, Esq., F.Z.S. 

 there exists a collection of varieties of 

 British birds, which contains nearly as 

 many species as the one referred to above. 

 My first desire on hearing this was to see 

 it. See it I must, if such a thing were 

 possible. I am never backward at asking 

 permission from a brother naturalist to see 

 his collection, because I know that 99 out 

 of every 100 take the greatest pleasure in 

 the world in showing what he has to anyone 

 who can appreciate their value or beauty. 

 I have asked such favours scores of times, 



