SAXBY : NESTS AND EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



167 



observations do not tend to confirm this view. I knew a pair of redbacked 

 shrikes Avhich nested in the same clump of bushes during four successive 

 summers — how many they had resorted to it previously I cannot say. The 

 eggs were invariably five in number. Those of the first set had the ground 

 colour of a bluish tint, in the second set it was creamy white, in the third of 

 a still warmer hue, and in the fourth bluish like the first. In all the spots 

 were as usual bluish gray and rusty brown of several shades. The beautiful 

 red variety so admirably figured in Mr. Hewitson's work has occurred to my 

 notice more frequently in Merionethshire than elsewhere. Eggs belonging to 

 the same nest sometimes present astounding differences as to size and also in 

 the character of the marking ; more than once I have seen the zone of spots 

 upon the small end of the egg. 



The male feeds the female not only while she is upon the eggs, but also 

 whilst the nest is in course of construction ; sometimes he brings her butter- 

 flies, now and then a large bee, but most commonly beetles. 



In 1855, I discovered a nest and five eggs in a low thorn bush, and was 

 not a little surprised to observe that both birds were in the plumage of adult 

 males. 



A nest found at Bonchurch, Isle of Wight, in 1832, had about one hun- 

 dred and forty dry skins of small hairy caterpillars adhering to all parts of 

 he exterior. 



Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa grisola. I have had several opportu- 

 ! nities of observing that the spotted flycatcher rears two broods in a season. 

 ' Sometimes the second set of eggs is deposited without any further preparation 

 ■ of the nest, but more frequently a slight addition is made to the lining. I 

 I have known this bird return in summer to a nest constructed during the 

 I previous season, but this does not appear to be an unusual circumstance. So 

 'far as I can ascertain, incubation lasts about fifteen days, during the whole 

 •of which period the male keeps the female well supplied with food, not 

 bringing each insect separately, unless it happen to be a large one, but 

 waiting until a considerable immber have been collected. 



When the site fixed upon for the nest is near a house the builders often 

 avail themselves largely of the sweepings of carpets, the shakings of mats, 

 ;&c., consequently pieces of twine and silk, and small shreds of muslin are 

 very frequently observed in the walls of the nest. I have remarked that 

 when scraps of Berlin wool are used, a decided preference is shown for sober 

 colours— a preference similar to that exhibited by N'ature in the plumage of 

 the bird itself. 



