' JENNY WREN ' 141 



ran away with the dish.' Plate unbroken, and 

 bird soon feeding from it again as if nothing had 

 happened. 



Can you tell me what bird it is that utters a 

 delicious liquid, long-lingering ' glou-glou,' loud 

 and clear and slow, from the top of a tree? I 

 thought it must be Hebe, pouring out amber 

 nectar into crystal vases for the gods in the sky ; 

 but it was a long- winged brown bird, rather 

 larger than a cuckoo. I could not get a near 

 view of it, and only heard it twice ; it was very 

 delightful. 



June 23, 1882. 



I have lost my tame robin ; and it was so 

 tame ! perhaps it will appear again, but there are 

 such flocks of chiffchaffs and flycatchers about in 

 the garden that the timid little thing may be 

 afraid of them. It seemed so very shy of birds. 



No doubt I am related to the birds through my 

 grandmother, who was devoted to them and kept 

 a roomful ; and I always was Jenny Wren, and 

 wore a brown gown, and would not go too fine. 

 Nevertheless, I think that the real reason why 

 birds are so tame with me is that I go softly and 



alone. 



Decembers, 1882. 



I have quite a flock of birds every morning 

 now at the window : one nuthatch such a funny, 



