$he fJouag Naturalist : 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. 76. 



APRIL 9th, 1881. 



Vol. 2. 



BIRDS' NESTS. 



Kr^HE nests of bird.-, have always 

 J arrested the attention of the 

 admiurs of tlie beautiful: their superb 

 nrchiteeture has long been a topic for 

 controversy aiid comment, and the 

 person must be very indifferent to 

 thought who can not see a wide field 

 for study in the various forms and 

 shapes of nests constructed by the vari- 

 ous kinds of birds. We think a great 

 ujustice is done to the birds and to 

 nature in denying the exercise of any 

 •eiison to the constructors of these 

 idmirable dwellings. People wonder 

 vhy there are so many different forms 

 )f nests, each species building its own 

 Peculiar kind. Mr. Wallace has shown 

 hat the explanation is not very far to 

 eek. Each species, if it builds a nest 

 t all, builds it of materials it finds in 

 ts every-day search for food: the 

 ledge sparrow uses moss and hair, 

 .ilieh it finds in hedge rows and farm 

 ards; the Kingfisher uses fish bones,; 

 be Woodpecker chips of rot ton wood; 

 nose birds which frequent mud flats 

 •equently construct their Nests either 

 ntirely or partly of mud. It is not 



. strange that each bird varies in this 

 | respect, but it would be strange if each 

 I selected the same material. We refer to 

 this subject now because we want our 

 readers assistance. We have several 

 times made similar requests which 

 have been most liberally responded to. 

 i We asked for varieties of birds eggs 

 and oik; correspondent alone has al- 

 ready sent us over a hundred figures of 

 '. beautiful varieties. It is our intention 

 I to figure most of the nests of the 

 smaller birds, and as there are several 

 ; winch we have not yet obtained, and 

 | as the time is near at hand for getting 

 | them, we should be obliged if persons 

 who are favourably situated would be 

 on the look out. Of course we may not 

 require some of these for some time to 

 come, but as the farmer's boy said by 

 the strickle, the best time of the year 

 to get it is when you see it. 



Wilson believed that inferior or ill- 

 constructed nests were built by young 

 and inexperienced birds, while the best 

 were made by those of age and ex- 

 perience. If young birds always paired 

 together, and old ones did the same, 

 there might be greater difference in 

 ncbts in this respect, but as in the 



