59 



CHAPTEE V 



September 19, 1882. 



NOTHING worth recording has happened in my 

 little bird-world, since my last entry, or I have 

 been too busy to notice it. The summer has been 

 cold and wet and short ; birds abundant, but 

 insect-life less abundant than usual, I think. I 

 think so partly because the birds have been almost 

 as constantly at the window as if it had been 

 winter, and have appeared quite as anxious for a 

 share of the food placed there. Not, however, the 

 tits ; of them I have seen but little till now, w r hen 

 they are beginning to come again. 



The nuthatches, a beautiful sleek, intelligent 

 pair of birds, with a great deal of character, have 

 become very confident and familiar. 



To-day, for the first time, I saw a chiffchaff 

 at my window-sill. It did not take any crumbs 

 though, and had probably been attracted by the 

 sight of a fly. There are numbers of the pretty 

 little things in the garden just now, chasing each 

 other and the flies in the most lively and graceful 

 manner, and so eagerly that they seem to take no 



