330 



CHAPTER OF VARIETIES. 



Naturalist's Magazine) — to the following particulars. The sitting- 

 room was very seldom without inmates, as we principally lived in it, 

 and it not unfrequently happened that some one was sitting at the 

 window during the greater part of the day. More than this — the sash 

 was often thrown up by a member of our family, to call to persons in 

 the lane — for you must know that our house is situated about twelve 

 yards from the turnpike road, with only a small grass-plot and a few 

 low flowering shrubs in front. The nest being so near us was an 

 object of general curiosity and much observation ; for I seldom let any 

 of our visiters depart without directing their attention to it. None of 

 of these things, however, disturbed the parent bird: — she sat most 

 patiently, and I don't recollect that she once flew away, although fre- 

 quently observed through the open window. There was not by any 

 means the care taken not to disturb her, which I could have wished ; 

 still she went on prosperously to the end, and, as I have stated above, 

 the whole five eggs were hatched. During the time of incubation, the 

 male bird often visited his partner, but I could not discover whether 

 he ever brought her food, as I was, for the most part, engaged in the 

 study. I have, however, seen him fly from beside her many times in 

 the length of a day. To my no small annoyance the young were de- 

 stroyed before they were fledged — (as we say in the country, when in 

 pen-feather) — by the servant-man, as I suppose, in compliance with 

 the commands of his master, who is prejudiced against them, because 

 he considers that they do much damage in the garden. Now this 

 statement respecting the chaffinch appears to me more remarkable than 

 that of the redbreast, inasmuch as I have always considered the latter a 

 much tamer bird than the former. I remember a few years ago, when 

 I was quite a boy, a robin built its nest in one of the empty compart- 

 ments of a book cupboard in a charity-school, and, if my memory is 

 not treacherous, reared her brood, entering and departing through an 

 open window, although the room was regularly filled with girls. 



If you consider this worthy of notice, I shall be glad to see it in 

 print. Most likely, on some future occasion, I may have other com- 

 munications for you. 



Sutton-juxta-Frodsham, Cheshire, W. B ***** w. 



June 13, 1833. 



On the nest of the bottle tit. — It is impossible for any one, 

 even the most talented of writers, to form any thing like a good natural 

 history of any description, without the united efforts of correspondents 



