NEST WITHIN NEST. 
19 
The next object of attention was a Titmouse, of the 
large black-headed kind, swinging himself about like a 
rope-dancer, and whistling out his sing-song just like a 
fellow sharpening a saw. To my sui'prise, the gentleman 
entered an old magpie's nest, to which I had paid frequent 
friendly visits during the previous spring ; he immediately 
came out again, and jumped about, sharpening his saw as 
before o One might almost as well handle a hedgehog as a 
magpie's nest : in this instance some cuttings of gooseberry 
bushes, skilfully interwoven into an arch above it, rendered 
it rather more un tempting than usual. I was meditating 
how to commence the attack, when another tomtit flew out 
in great choler, and rated at me as though I had already 
robbed her : after a good deal of trouble, during which the 
slender fir-top was swinging about with me in the breeze, 
I succeeded in obtaining a peep into the nest : there was 
nest within nest : the cosiest, softest, warmest little nest, 
with eight delicately speckled eggs, at the bottom of the 
magpie's more spacious habitation. I declined meddling 
with them, whether on account of the awkwardness of my 
situation, or the intervening gooseberry bushes, or the 
cruelty, I will not say. 
I have occasionally, though but seldom, found the Dab- 
chick's nest in the weeds near the banks of this island : 
it is large for the bird, but of very inconsiderable thickness, 
and always wet, so that the eggs are for ever in a sort of 
puddle. The eggs are about as big as a blackbird's, but 
design, there is sucli a building impetus in birds that it is no uncommon occur- 
rence for the same pair to commence half-a-dozen nests besides the one which 
contains the brood : I speak of birds in a state of nature, but the same propen- 
sity is exemplified among birds in aviaries, where single birds, male or female, 
are continually displaying their constructive abilities. — E. N. 
c2 
