WATSON AND HAZELL,
Printers,
London and Aylesbury.
CONTENTS.
| PAGE | |||
| Introductory Chapter | [1] | ||
| CHAPTER | I. | —THE WREN | [8] |
| ” | II. | —THE GOLDFINCH | [15] |
| ” | III. | —THE SONG THRUSH | [20] |
| ” | IV. | —THE BLACKBIRD | [26] |
| ” | V. | —THE DIPPER, OR WATER-OUSEL | [33] |
| ” | VI. | —THE NIGHTINGALE | [37] |
| ” | VII. | —THE SKYLARK | [42] |
| ” | VIII. | —THE LINNET | [47] |
| ” | IX. | —THE PEEWIT | [51] |
| ” | X. | —HOUSE-MARTINS, OR WINDOW-SWALLOWS, AND NESTS | [56] |
| ” | XI. | —CHIFF-CHAFFS, OR OVEN-BUILDERS, AND NEST | [66] |
| ” | XII. | —GOLDEN-CRESTED WRENS AND NEST | [70] |
| ” | XIII. | —WAGTAIL AND NEST | [76] |
| ” | XIV. | —JACKDAW AND NESTLINGS | [82] |
| ” | XV. | —SPOTTED FLY-CATCHERS AND NEST | [86] |
| ” | XVI. | —WOOD-PIGEONS AND NEST | [92] |
| ” | XVII. | —WHITE-THROAT AND NEST | [98] |
| ” | XVIII. | —BULL-FINCH AND NESTLINGS | [102] |
| ” | XIX. | —MISSEL-THRUSHES AND NEST | [106] |
| ” | XX. | —YELLOW-HAMMER, OR YELLOW-HEAD, AND NEST | [112] |
| ” | XXI. | —MAGPIE AND NEST | [116] |
| ” | XXII. | —NUTHATCH AND NEST | [120] |
Birds and their Nests.
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.
The birds in these pictures of ours have all nests, which is as it should be; for how could the bird rear its young without its little home and soft little bed, any more than children could be comfortably brought up without either a bed to lie upon, or a home in which to be happy.
Birds-nests, though you may find them in every bush, are wonderful things. Let us talk about them. They are all alike in the purpose for which they are intended, but no two families of birds build exactly alike; all the wrens, for instance, have their kind of nest; the thrushes have theirs; so has the swallow tribe; so has the sparrow, or the rook. They do not imitate one another, but each adheres to its own plan, as God, the great builder and artist, as well as Creator, taught them from the very beginning. The first nightingale, that sang its hymn of joyful thanksgiving in the Garden of Paradise, built its nest just the same as the bird you listened to last year in the coppice. The materials were there, and the bird knew how to make use of them; and that is perhaps the most wonderful part of it, for she has no implements to work with: no needle and thread, no scissors, no hammer and nails; nothing but her own little feet and bill, and her round little breast, upon which to mould it; for it is generally the mother-bird which is the chief builder.