OF SELBORNE. 151 
blue thmfli at the feafon of breeding would dart out from the clefts 
of the rocks to chafe away the keftril, or the fparrow-hawk. If you 
ftand near the neft of a bird that has young, fhe will not be induced 
to betray them by an inadvertent fondnefs, but will wait about at a 
diftance with meat in her mouth for an hour together. 
Should I farther corroborate what I have advanced above by 
fome anecdotes v/hich I probably may have mentioned before in 
converfation, yet you will, I truft, paidon the repetition for the 
fake of the illuftration. 
The flycatcher of the Zoology (the Jloparola of Ray), builds 
every year in the vines that grow on the walls of my houfe. A 
pair of thefe Uttle birds had one year inadvertently placed their neft 
on a naked bough, perhaps in a lhady time, not being aware of 
the inconvenience that followed. But an hot funny feafon coming 
on before the brood was half fledged, the reflection of the wall 
became infupportable, and mufl: inevitably have deftroyed the tender 
young, had not affediion fuggefted an expedient, and prompted the 
parent-birds to hover over the neft all the hotter hours, while with 
wings expanded, and mouths gaping for breath, they fcreened off 
the heat from their fufFering offspring. 
A farther inftance I once favv of notable fagacity in a willow-wren, 
which had built in a bank in my fields. This bird a friend and 
myfelf had obferved as flie fat in her neft ; but v/ere particularly 
careful not to difturb her, though we faw flie eyed us with fome 
degree of jealoufy. Some days after as we pafled that way we were 
defirous of remarking how this brood went on ; but no nefl; could 
be found, till I happened to take up a large bundle of long green 
mofs, as it were, careleflly thrown over the neft in order to dodge 
the eye of any impertinent intruder. 
