NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 
175 
Robins Nesting^. — I think a unique instance of robins nesting in the 
most out-of-the way places occurred here a few weeks back. The windows of a 
certain library here were left open, and in a short time the attendant noticed that 
two robins came and went continually, and after a while commenced to build 
their nest on the top of a shelf which they in due time finished. Then on account 
of their making such a mess, the attendant put the nest into a flower-pot and 
carried it into the garden while the two birds looked on. They went to the 
nest immediately and there were some eggs laid, but on one of them being broken 
the birds deserted. 
Miy 18, 1901. A Rugby Selbornian. 
The Robin and its Young. — At the Bradford meeting of the British 
Association it was stated that it was unknown “how long the commonest 
English birds sat upon their eggs before hatching them” {Report, 1900, p. 586). 
On the 28th of April three eggs were seen in a robin’s nest, built in my vinery ; 
on the loth of May six birds were seen to be hatched in it, and on the 21st all 
had left the nest, and all but one had flown from the vinery. Presuming that 
the rest of the eggs were laid, and that the robin began to sit by the end of 
April, she must have sat for ten days, and fed her young for eleven days before 
they flew. On the 21st the father and mother were sitting side by side on 
tree near by, probably well content with the result of their labours. The 
absence of more precise information is due to my desire that the robin should 
not be disturbed, even by any one looking into its nest. It got into and out of 
the vinery through a small opening in a broken pane of glass, fortunately too 
small to admit a cat. 
Weetwood, Watford. John IIopkinson, F.Z.S. 
The Hoopoe in England. — In reply to Mr. Aplin, I can say that my 
authority is my father, who used to say hoopoes were very common when he was 
young, that is about one hundred years ago. According to Rodd’s “Birds of 
Cornwall ” they certainly were common, but as they were always shot and called 
specimens, they have disappeared of course. If they came, which they certainly 
did, why should they not breed ? The same with the oriole. One was seen in 
Cornwall the other day. What chance have we of seeing them as long as stupid 
people shoot and stuff? It is not science, or ornithology, but ignorant vanity. 
W. F. Collier. 
Redpoles. — Some redpoles made their nest in a low box-bush in our 
garden this year — a pretty little nest, made with moss and wool and grass 
stems, and lined with some sort of down. There were five eggs laid, and they 
were successfully hatched and reared. Some few days before they flew the 
male bird used to sit a little way from the nest, and sing his sweet little song. 
The eggs were pale blue, spotted with reddish brown. 
Foxton Vicarage, Cambs., A. M. Greenwood. 
June, 1901. 
Mountain Finch and Beech Nuts.— These birds, probably the most 
beautiful of the finches, are to be seen daily in my garden. One New Year’s Day 
I had a fine view of two of them from an upper window as they were on the 
ground below, the sun showing out their lovely plumage to the greatest advantage. 
They are especially fond of beech nuts, and feed, in company with chaffinches, 
under a fern-leaved beech in front of my study window. The crop of beech nuts 
last year was the greatest in my memory, and as I believe the trees do not bear 
continuously, there is a likelihood of a dearth of them for the next season or two, 
if not longer. 
Market Weston, Thetford. Edmund Thos. Daubeny. 
yanuary, 1901. 
The Fishing Eagle (osprey, or as here called, milan). — My brother, who 
is a constant writer in Nature Notes, told me that some forty years ago, when 
at Geneva, he had watched this interesting bird on the lake. Consequently I 
have been looking out for him lately and have seen several of the species at work. 
But it was only yesterday that I obtained the close observation that I wished for. 
There is now much water running down from the Gorge du Chauderon. Passing 
by the mouth of the stream last evening I paused to watch an Italian fisherman 
with long rod, taking out small fish the length of the middle finger. Presently a 
