Transcriber’s Notes Hyphenation has been standardised. For the CONTENTS on page v, Chapter IX—Peewits 51 was missed from print in the original, and has been added. The layout of the Contents continuation page on page vi, has been changed to replicate the layout of the previous Contents page. Page 41—changed cemetries to cemeteries. Page 55—changed artifical to artificial. BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. [Illustration: ROBIN AND NEST.] BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS, BY MARY HOWITT. [Illustration] _With Twenty-three Full-page Illustrations by Harrison Weir._ NEW YORK: GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS, 416, BROOME STREET. London: S. W. Partridge & Co., 9, Paternoster Row. _All rights reserved._ [Illustration: WATSON AND HAZELL, _Printers_, London and Aylesbury.] [Illustration] 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 [Illustration] [Illustration] _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.