THE REDBREAST. 
235 
Amongst Robin Redbreasts, many instances of strange 
selection bave come to our knowledge, quite as singular as 
those hitherto mentioned. Thus, we know of one which 
attempted to build in the library of a gentleman’s house, at 
least, so it was suspected, from a few suspicious materials, 
such as dried leaves, &c., having been occasionally found 
| amongst the shelves, without any person being able to 
ascertain from whence they came. Probably disappointed by 
perceiving that they were swept away as soon as deposited, 
the domestic bird resolved to try another equally sheltered 
situation, and, accordingly, selected the dining-room, which, 
as the family never entered it till luncheon- time, she had all 
to herself from the moment the housemaid had done her 
duty in the morning and retired, leaving, as she was accus- 
tomed to do, the window open. How long the bird had 
carried on her operations unnoticed, we know not; but a 
servant accidentally moving the drapery of one of the window- 
curtains, discovered in the folds of a festoon the Robin’s 
nest. 
In this instance the bird availed itself of a situation in 
which, during the greater portion of the day, she was in 
solitude and silence ; but solitude and silence do not seem 
essential to all Robin Redbreasts, for we lately heard of a 
pair which took possession of a pigeon-hole book-shelf in a 
school, which was constantly frequented by seventy children. 
The hole selected was at the farthest extremity of the room, 
immediately above the heads of a junior class of little girls 
from four to five years of age, who, much to their credit, 
never disturbed the bird. There she laid and hatched five 
eggs. One of the young ones died in a few days, and the 
body was carried off by the parent-birds. The remaining 
four were regularly fed in the presence of the children, and 
in due time reared. Soon after their departure the old bird 
repaired the nest, and laid three more eggs, which she 
attended to with the same perseverance and success. We 
have often alluded to the frequent return of birds to the 
same nests, and perhaps the most singular feature in this 
anecdote is, that about twelve years ago a Robin built in 
