A farther instance I once saw of notable sagacity in a willow-wren,
which had built in a bank in my fields. This bird a friend and
myself had observed as she sat in her nest; but were particularly
careful not to disturb her, though we saw she eyed us with some
degree of jealousy. Some days after as we passed that way we were
desirous of remarking how this brood went on; but no nest could be
found, till I happened to take up a large bundle of long green moss,
as it were, carelessly thrown over the nest, in order to dodge the
eye of any impertinent intruder.
A still more remarkable mixture of sagacity and instinct occurred
to me one day as my people were pulling off the lining of an
hotbed, in order to add some fresh dung. From out of the side of
this bed leaped an animal with great agility that made a most
grotesque figure; nor was it without great difficulty that it could be
taken; when it proved to be a large white-bellied field-mouse with
three or four young clinging to her teats by their mouths and feet.
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