160 BIRD NOTES 



hiding-place is under the rose hedge, amongst the 

 thorns and weeds ; twice I have found a heap of 

 dry grass laid over where the small thing had been 

 placed (I knew the meaning of it from having once 

 found a young robin hidden under grass in the 

 midst of a gooseberry bush) , but now she ventures 

 to feed them in the oval bed in the middle of the 

 garden. Here there are generally two together, 

 but sometimes one joins its elder brother, the little 

 gardener, in the back garden ; sometimes they 

 fight, and sometimes they flutter off, and she loses 

 them. She had the smallest by her the other day 

 as I stood by the dining-roorn window, and, seeing 

 me, came to ask for something. I gave her some 

 bacon, and while doing so the little one slipped 

 through the hedge, and she could not find it. So 

 she put the bacon down in a safe place, and went 

 about looking for it, and the expressiveness of her 

 actions was something wonderful to see. Up and 

 down, and in and out she went, with growing 

 terror, and then began a soft low moaning sound 

 that I have often heard used on such occasions. 

 It seems attractive, but still little one did not 

 come, and she came to me, hopped up on the 

 window-sill, did not touch the bacon but looked 

 inquiringly into my face, asking as plainly as 

 possible if I knew where it was. I was obliged to 

 say that I did not ; then it began again, and went 



