A WORD ON THE YELLOWAMMEK. 
THE YELLOWAMMER. 
Equally neat is the fabric of small twigs and coarse grasses, closely 
plaited and twisted and felted, and comfortably lined with a layer of 
fine gi'asses, hair, and fibrous roots, which, 
" Low in the garden's thorny bound, 
Or under, on the shelving mound, 
'Mid waving bent-grass, or the bloom 
Of blossomed furze," 
the yellow bunting or yellowamraer plants. Generally, it may be 
observed, the nests of our British song-birds are nicely made ; but 
they exhibit none of those remarkable characteristics which have 
occupied our attention in the earlier portion of the present chapter. 
And the reason is, we suspect, the absence of any formidable enemies. 
They have no need to guard by ingenious contrivances against the 
attacks of monkeys or serpents, or even birds of prey ; and, con- 
sequently, the stimulus of necessity has never been applied to their 
inventive and constructive faculties. They build for comfort, and to 
make provision for their young; and in our temperate climate no 
special protection is required against deluges of rain, no special shelter 
from the rays of a burning sun. Moreover, many of the species are 
migratory — coming with the smile of spring, and departing with the 
first frown of winter ; and for these any elaborately-wrought domicile 
would clearly be superfluous. Yet the skill shown in the composition 
of the humblest nest of the humblest songster is of its kind most ad- 
mirable ; and the chaffinch's nest is as much a matter for investigation 
and thought and pleased reflection as any of those wonders of Nature 
in which the devout soul acknowledges the influence of an All- Wise 
Creator. 
THE SKYLARK. 
This is true even of the skylark's nest, which is sometimes spoken 
of in careless and slighting terms. But examine it carefully, and you 
will find that it has been wrought with considerable industry, and 
that it is cunningly adapted to escape observation from the passer-by. 
The outside layer is composed of withered grass, which is almost 
