RECOLLECTIONS OF A TOWN GARDEN. 161 



which, in spring, was carpeted with snowdrops, primroses, and violets. 

 The snowdrops were double, and most of the primroses coloured, 

 proving that they must have been planted by the hand of man at some 

 remote time ; nevertheless, the later generations must have been self- 

 sown, and had all the appearance of wild flowers dotted about amongst 

 the grass. 



The Hollow was divided from the long walk by a lilac hedge, and 

 on the other side there was an elder hedge under the row of elms. 

 These hedges were favourite nesting places for birds, and here I may 

 remark that the number of birds frequenting this garden was quite 

 surprising, surrounded as it was, though at some little distance, by 

 houses. I am inclined to agree with the author of "Wild Life in a 

 Southern County,' 7 that when birds have once become attached to a 

 particular locality they stay there, even though it may be much more 

 frequented than formerly. This, however, was not the case with the 

 rooks which are said to have built in the elms ; they have not done so 

 for many years, but come from neighbouring rookeries every spring to 

 fetch sticks, wasting, as they always do, twice as many as they carry 

 away. Some years ago, before any viUas were built to the north of the 

 garden, it was not unusual to flush a woodcock from the Hollow in 

 October. They no doubt found it a pleasant resting place on their 

 journey from the coast. A pair of wood pigeons built annually either 

 in the larch trees, the copper beeches, or the pines. Song thrushes 

 and blackbirds were constant residents all the year round, they built 

 chiefly on the ivy-covered walls and trees. A pied blackbird was a 

 visitor for some months, but its life was cut short by a bloodthirsty 

 gardener next door, who made a point of slaying all birds who ventured 

 within his bounds. This bird had a white head, neck, and wings, and 

 was therefore a very conspicuous object on the lawn. Fieldfares and 

 redwings visited the garden in hard winters for the sake of the holly 

 berries, the winter of 1861-62 in particular was memorable for the 

 hundreds which came to a large holly close to the house, and though 

 fired ac from a window, returned again and again. Those which were 

 killed were found to be very good eating. It was that same winter, to the 

 best of my recollection, that so many blackbirds, thrushes, and starlings, 

 besides redwings and fieldfares, were found dead under the bushes, 

 literally in heaps. A large square hole was dug, and the victims of the 

 frost were wheeled off in a barrow by the children, and buried. In the 

 spring of 1879, and again in October, a ring ouzel was observed on the 

 lawn for a few days during its migration, and in the following January 

 a coot was seen there in search of food. The missel thrushes built 

 in the forks of the sycamores. Such birds as robins, hedge sparrows, 

 wrens, and chaffinches were, of course, common. Numbers of 

 greenfinches built in the elder hedge, and their cheerful note might 

 be heard all the summer long. A pair of golden-crested wrens were 

 often to be seen, but no nest was ever found. Great, blue, and cole 

 tits were constant residents, all of them, the latter especially, coming 

 in winter to feed from a marrow bone hung outside one of the 



