234 
THE REDSTART. 
of the din of hammers and braziers. There, unmolested and 
unconcerned, she hatched four young ones. The cock, not 
reconciled to such a scene, instead of taking his part in feed- 
ing the nestlings, carried the food he collected to a spot on 
the roof, where he left it till the hen fetched it when wanted. 
She became quite familiar with the men who were constantly 
employed in the shop, and flew in and out without showing 
signs of fear ; hut if a stranger approached she immediately 
flew off her nest, or, if absent, would not return until he had 
departed. 
We once found a Wagtail’s nest under the half-deck of a 
pleasure-boat, which was anchored on a sheet of water. Several 
times, from the discovery of the nest to the final departure 
of the young ones, we embarked and sailed about, the old 
birds keeping a look-out 
upon our motions, and 
frequently alighting on the 
gunwale, and finally rear- 
ing and flying off with 
their brood. 
The Eedstart, one of 
our prettiest summer birds 
of passage, though in its 
general habits very shy, is 
frequently in the choice of 
position for its nest, the 
very reverse. We remem- 
ber one which built on the 
narrow space between the 
gudgeons or upright non 
on which a garden door 
was hung; the bottom of 
the nest, of course, resting 
on the iron hinge, which 
must have shaken it every 
S in £ular nest of a Redstart. . . , n n i 
tune the door was opened. 
Nevertheless, there she sat, in spite of all this inconvenience 
and publicity, exposed as she was to all who were constantly 
passing to and fro. 
