266 Mr. W. H. Simpson’s Narrative 
had been clinging, and to fly towards the far corner of the 
square, where he uttered a single warning cry and disappeared. 
It took us a very short time to cross the remaining space in the 
direction he had gone, and it became speedily manifest that one 
object of our journey was attained. We had found the “ Bo” 
without any difficulty on the skirts of the clearing, where the 
ground was depressed somewhat below the general level ; and 
not far from the edge of a marsh there stood the remains of an 
ancient birch some 30 feet in height, and slightly overhanging to¬ 
wards the opening. Near the top on our side was a fresh hole; but 
what was more to the purpose, from out of that hole there peered 
the unmistakeable head and bill of P. martins gazing at the party 
without evincing much alarm. My first care was to prevent my 
companion from blowing to pieces, at the trifling distance of ten 
yards, that head so temptingly displayed before the muzzle of 
his gun. This point gained, a tap from the woodman's axe 
caused the bird to retreat; when we commenced operations, 
pending which the old ones remained in the vicinity. Some¬ 
times they would come within gunshot, and then, as if alarmed 
at their own audacity, swing round to the other side of the tree 
to which they might be clinging, poking so much of the head 
forwards as to enable them to see what was going on. In this 
position they would beat a rapid and angry tattoo upon the trees, 
and occasionally utter, in addition to their ordinary cry, one of 
the most peculiar notes I ever heard from any European bird, 
and which more resembles the sharp and momentary ring of a 
shrill-toned bell than any other sound with which lam acquainted. 
We heard this note subsequently whilst operating upon another 
nest; but it appears not to be uttered except under great excite¬ 
ment, and then, perhaps, only by the female. The entrance- 
hole was within two feet of the top of the tree, which was easily 
ascended, the bark being very coarse. On examining it I found 
the edges much rougher than those of holes made by P. viridis, 
the sides sloping slightly upwards towards the interior. In shape 
it was elliptical, the horizontal being perhaps a fourth larger 
than the perpendicular diameter. The roof of the cavity was 
quite honeycombed by the strokes of the bird’s bill; and this 
peculiarity was noticed in the two nests subsequently discovered. 
