Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/362

336 Warblers frequented a ballast-pit not far from the Tone, and close to the Great Western Railway, about a mile to the east of Taunton. When this spot was visited, a little search resulted in the discovery of the nest, which then contained four eggs. I was anxious that these should be hatched off, in order that Coates might be able to snare the old birds and the young. He was therefore directed to keep careful watch upon it, and after another visit he returned to say that one young bird had been hatched, and that the other three eggs appeared addled, and that a pair of Red-backed Shrikes were in dangerous proximity to the nest. Mr. Marshall therefore had one of the addled eggs taken from the nest, which precisely resembled the eggs I have described above, and appointed a morning for Coates to attempt to snare the old birds. Unfortunately, when this morning arrived, it was discovered that some birds-nesting boys had been beforehand; the herbage was trampled down in all directions, and the precious nest had disappeared.

We were, however, consoled for this misfortune by hearing the next day that Coates had discovered that the other pair of Marsh Warblers had built a second nest. The small withy-bed which was selected for it appears to be a favourite resort for birds. It is barely the eighth of an acre in extent, yet besides the Marsh Warblers it gave shelter to a pair of common Whitethroats and their nest, a pair of Sedge-birds and nest, a pair of Bullfinches and their brood; and high up in a hazel-bush overhanging the stream a dome-shaped nest was found, which on examination proved to be built of hay, in the form of a perfect dome, with a small hole for ingress, and contained three freshly-laid eggs of the House Sparrow. We all agreed that it was a very unusual site for a Sparrow's nest, and a singularly neat nest for the bird. While watching for the Marsh Warblers, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker suddenly rose from the willows by the stream and almost flew in our faces, and there were numerous Chiffchaffs and Willow Wrens all round us, and doubtless many other nests in the little cover besides those we detected. The male Marsh Warbler captured is a very perfect specimen, and when picked up its breast was suffused with a delicate primrose-yellow, a tint which proved extremely evanescent, and had almost disappeared before the bird was completely cold. We took careful notes of the coloration of the soft parts directly the bird was in our hands, and observed that