148 BIRD NOTES 



off bacon for their young. And there is such a 

 piping and peeping of young birds ! Two broods 

 of young thrushes have been brought forth in my 

 garden (and now they are eating all the straw- 

 berries, quite unripe ! ungrateful things !). Then 

 there was the brood of missel thrushes hanging 

 over the road, and some dear goldencrests built in 

 a small juniper. Though the tree was so small, 

 and the nest within reach of my hand, and I 

 could watch them fly out and in, I never could 

 see it till the birds had left, and I could pull the 

 boughs apart, so cleverly had they hidden it. It 

 could be seen though, I suppose, by sharp eyes, 

 for I was standing at the window one day, and I 

 saw a butcher's boy, as he passed under the tree, 

 all at once put down his basket and go for it \ 

 Fancy my horror and the energy of my depreca- 

 tion ! I soon made him understand that was no 

 business of his. I have been in a fright about it 

 ever since, and was glad to hear them all uttering 

 very lively miniature pipings last Sunday in a way 

 that showed they were ready to be off; and so 

 they were, early next morning, and now one hears 

 them all about the limes and Virginian cedars. 

 It is not altogether a pretty note, like scissors 

 rather, but the wee things are so pretty, one likes 

 to hear it. The nest is most curious. I took it 

 down when I was sure they had done with it. It 



