A ROBINS NEST. .
A quaint nesting site has been chosen by a pair of robins in my garden. On the lines of the—possible -L-proverb that "one man's ceiling is another man's- floor," the birds used for their foundation the arch of an Old cliiffehaffs nest. One of the advantages was that the birds avoided detection. The old nest, which had become tolerably obvious, was seen a great many times before the presence of the new room was detected. I have usnally been at 'pains to remove old nests on the sup- position that they spoiled desirable sites halt perhaps the practice is a mistake. The nests are much used by varinag creatures in winter. Rarely, but very rarely, they beeolu, homes again after certain repairs ; and in any case then, immediate juxtaposition to a new nest is not often regarded as objectionable. Occasionally birds use the nests of different species. I have found pigeons' eggs in magpies' nests and tits in rooks' nests. It is not uncommon in my experience fr bumble bees to house in old thrushes' or blackbirds' in -1 and in winter bigger nests serve, to quote particular cases
a refuge for mice, rats, stoats and weasels.
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