104 . BIRD NOTES 



the window, the bird repeats it more loudly, and 

 again and again till I appear. But it seems to 

 wish not to be heard by the other birds, more 

 especially by a certain pert hen chaffinch that 

 waits for the crumbs that fall from the robin's 

 table, and that does not always wait, but that flies 

 upon the prey as I fling it down to the privileged 

 little thing sitting with its back to me on the edge 

 of the verandah, looking over its shoulder, and 

 greeting me with a gratified flap of its wings 

 when I appear. That, I suppose, I am to take for 

 a smile. It does not often come up thence to feed, 

 as I do not put the plate out yet. I leave it on 

 my desk near the open window when I go out of 

 the room, and it comes in and feeds at its leisure. 

 Last Sunday it came in, I do not know by what 

 window or door (probably the front door, which 

 was invitingly open), and regularly explored the 

 house. I do not think there was more than one 

 room that it did not visit, and of that the door 

 was closed. I followed, to let it out, but it did 

 not care for me, or avail itself of the window I 

 opened. Now, however, windows must be closed, 

 and we (i.e. I and the birds) must return to winter 

 ways, for there was a first white frost this 

 morning. 



This morning the tits and nuthatches made 

 their appearance again at breakfast ; very smart 



