204 
churches and ruined towers, where they may in some cases he easily 
protected. 
Ponds, lakes, and islands, even of small extent and in frequented 
places may be made the home of birds, thus greatly adding to their 
interest, by a few simple arrangements for their safety, and con- 
venience. 
There is in a farm yard in this county, a pond at which the farm 
horses drink daily. At some distance from the edge of this pond, 
about a dozen posts were stuck in the water, each post supporting 
a small ladder and a box shaped like a small dog kennel. These 
boxes were all tenanted, some by Moorhens and others by tame 
Carolina Ducks. Around the pond was an embankment of sand 
and gravel in artificial holes in which several pairs of tame Shell- 
ducks had nests. In a bed of nettles, between the water and the 
sandbank, was a nest of hybrid eggs, of tame Canada Goose and a 
wild Bean Gander (a winged bird), these eggs were I believe all 
rotten. On the other side of the sandbank was a hollow tree 
containing a nest of Carolina Duck’s eggs. Here were also plenty 
of half tame Wild Ducks which were said to nest on pollard trees 
at some distance for want of a more suitable place, and to pay daily 
visits to the sea. 
Many foreign and domestic birds such as Parrots, Carolina Ducks, 
Musk Ducks, Rockdoves, &c., nest freely in hollow trees or boxes, 
and are both ornamental and interesting.* 
In Lapland the natives and settlers are said to place boxes in 
trees on the hanks of rivers for the Golden-eyed Ducks to nest in.t 
There is in Norfolk a group of small islands well wooded with fir 
trees where the birds are but little disturbed. On the afternoon of 
the 21st of May, 1874, I spent about two hours in these islands, and 
found in that short time ten nests of the golden crested Regulus 
besides other nests of Moorhen, &c. 
The nest of the tree Wasp has also been found suspended from 
the bough of a fir tree in these islands, and I have frequently found 
here nests of Kingfisher, Kestrel, Creeper, and others. Islands 
whether they be only a yard or two in diameter, and situated in a 
* Sometimes two nests of stockdoves are found in the same hole at the 
same time. 
t Richard Dann and Linnams cited by Yarrell. llist. Brit. Birds, Vol. 
iii. p. 268. 
