Our Bird Friends. 



watched them pull 

 the thatch of a corn 

 stack out straw by 

 straw because they 

 knew there was some 

 golden grain beneath 

 and they would come 

 upon it if they only 

 worked long enough. 

 On the other hand, 

 those living round 

 London are so foolish 

 that they mistake the 

 red indiarubber rings 

 out of lemonade and 

 other aerated water 

 bottles for food, and, 

 whilst wanderinof 

 over fields upon 

 which town refuse 

 has been spread, collect thousands of these india- 

 rubber round O's and carry them off to their 

 nests. 



They are fond of edible snails, and the illustration 

 on the opposite page shows a perfect specimen : an- 

 other which has had its shell broken, but succeeded in 

 escaping and repairing the damage, in all probability 

 through its assailant being driven off by some in- 

 truder; and the third an empty shell from which tlie 

 bird has extracted the succulent morsel. 



I 



COCK Sl'ARHOW KKADY FOR DINNER (/;. 1 ^ 



