WINTER SHIFTS. 281 



fowl than the rook. He will^ when hard pressed, 

 rummage even dust-bins and pig-styes in search 

 of any unconsidered trifle, which he will carry to 

 the top of some coign of vantage and hammer 

 into pieces small enough to be swallowed. 



During ordinary winter weather, house spar- 

 rows, hedge accentors, and robins pay kitchen 

 sinks daily visits, and throughout rigorous times 

 are compelled to share with blackbirds, starlings, 

 and song thrushes such culinary trifles as fortune 

 may wash down to them. A representative of 

 the last-named species used to visit my garden 

 every morning and afternoon for her rations. 

 One day a curious accident befell her. She was 

 wrestling strenuously with some grains of rice 

 adhering to the sides of a pudding dish which had 

 been placed on a sloping bank for the benefit of 

 all and sundry winged visitors. Whilst standing 

 on the lower edge of the utensil the thing sud- 

 denly turned clean over in response to her weight 

 and exertions, and entrapped her beneath it. 

 This httle accident appeared to scare her very 

 much indeed, but in spite of it she was back at 

 her wonted time next morning in search of 

 breakfast. 



A very pleasant feature of the growdng in- 

 terest taken in the study of natural history has 

 manifested itself during recent years in the in- 

 creasing numbers of people who now feed 



