Ax OXFORD BI-kCHBIRD.
An oddity of natural history has been engaging the attention of some bird-lovers in an Oxford garden. A blackbird built against the house behind a trellis where it was forced a little say from the wall by a wistaria. The hen bird found the 1°Ille so congenial that—apparently—she wished as many .hildrea as possible to enjoy it ; for she laid nine eggs which he is now incubating. A close inquirer could find no evidence all that the nest had, been interfered with or any eggs dded. It is just. possible that another blackbird played the ackoo and added four foreign eggs to the builders' proper luteb. Cases are on record of two pairs of birds (though not
that ever I heard, blackbirds) sharing a nest. The future of the enormous clutch will be watched with scientific curiosity. If all the eggs hatch, will nine youngsters be too many for the parents or the nest to cope with ; Is there any correlation between the size of nests, the nature of the fopd and the number of eggs in a clutch? Why- should the tit or partridge run to double figures, and so many other birds regard five as the ideal number, and the pigeon be content with two eggs ?
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