114 BIRD NOTES 



ing, he conies to that conclusion, and hops up to 

 me and looks up into my face, and I open the 

 window and talk to him, and feed him in fact, 

 just as we are quite comfortable together down 

 comes that young brigand upon him like a thun- 

 derbolt, paying no attention to my presence, and 

 away goes my poor old friend, with the young one 

 after him, and I am left lamenting, and so cross 

 that for some time afterwards the young one 

 receives nothing from me but a scolding. In fact, 

 I think he has come to the conclusion that what 

 he is to get he must seize rapidly. Yet I have not 

 the heart to chase him away entirely ; he is the 

 roundest robin I ever saw, and very handsome and 

 bright-eyed. He is very short-winged and short- 

 tailed, and splendid in colour ; but his boldness 

 distinguishes him quite as much as anything else. 

 I saw r him defy a nuthatch once, a bird that is a 

 subject of alarm to all the others, and one that, 

 for that reason, I do not encourage. Bob Junior, 

 however, does not molest the blue, tits ; he seems 

 to consider they have a prior right here, and the 

 gentle little hen I spoke of lately used to feed close 

 to him with the greatest confidence, holding a little 

 bit of bacon down with her foot, and pecking 

 quietly at it till it was all gone. But a little while 

 ago she had a fright ; the robin came down on 

 her suddenly just as she was going to feed put 



