82 BIRD NOTES 



an alarmed blackbird can make and the nest was 

 abandoned. I could not reach it to look into it, 

 but I conclude that a crow stole the eggs. A pair 

 of chaffinches, who built in the same clematis, 

 probably for the sake of being near my provision 

 on the window-sill, were more fortunate, and 

 brought up three little ones, who all came tumbling 

 out of the nest one day, very prematurely, 

 frightened by my inadvertently moving the cle- 

 matis with a rake. Two lodged in the branches 

 and got back again ; the other I had to pick up 

 and put back. It had two little fluffy feathers, 

 like ears, standing up over its eyes. 



The young birds have been very amusing this 

 year, and very abundant. As for the sparrows, 

 there must be scores about in the garden, and they 

 keep down the green blight most delightfully. 

 Let no one say as I believe Miss Ormerod does 

 that sparrows will not eat them. I watch them 

 constantly devouring the aphides as fast as they 

 can. The old ones do a good deal ; but the young 

 ones, being lighter, can rest on smaller sprays. 

 Young sparrows seem to be more voracious than 

 any other birds ; they follow their mothers about 

 till they, poor things, seem fairly puzzled where 

 to get food for so many. The swallowing seems 

 to be the difficulty, in which assistance is required 

 from the mother ; even when they have plenty of 



