120 RIVERSIDE LETTERS XV 



" Jenny Wrens," which are generally very 

 shy of showing themselves ; they were now 

 quite as tame as the robins, letting me have 

 many opportunities of a good comfortable 

 look at them. 



On Friday I was in my punt with my 

 little dog, over a corner of the tennis-court, 

 when our kingfisher (for I feel sure it was 

 the one that haunts this place continually) 

 came and perched on a branch of the birch 

 tree, not more than three yards from my 

 boat ; it did not appear in the least afraid, 

 but stayed there quite three or four minutes, 

 putting up its crest, pruning its wings, and 

 enjoying the bright sunshine ; whilst I could 

 admire its exquisite plumage at my leisure. 

 It then flew up the avenue of the shrubbery, 

 and from thence on to a small apple tree in 

 the kitchen garden, where I followed it in 

 my boat, getting again quite close to it ; it 

 seemed scarcely to notice either me or the 

 dog at all. 



My two eldest boys came down from 



