FEEDING WILD BIRDS IN WINTER. 107 



comes out in hungry birds. Nine robins are now, 

 whilst I write, carrying on a guerilla warfare, peck- 

 ing and flying at one another like little furies, as 

 indeed they are. Much as I love robins, I must 

 own they have villainous tempers, and will treat 

 their own kith and kin with persistent cruelty. 



Now a dozen or more fussy starlings have 

 arrived for their breakfast, and eagerly pick up 

 the coarse oatmeal, which seems to suit the 

 requirements of most birds when they cannot get 

 their own special diet. I like to listen to the busy 

 chatter the starlings keep up all the time they are 

 eating ; it is varied by little tiffs, which constantly 

 arise, when two birds spring into the air, peck at 

 each other furiously for a moment, and then, the 

 insult being avenged, drop down and resume their 

 breakfast until there comes a scare about some- 

 thing, when away they all rush. Starlings are 

 good emblems of perpetual motion cheerful, busy 

 creatures, they never seem to have a minute to 

 spare, and make so much ado about both work and 

 play that they are amongst the most amusing of 

 the visitants to my window. Blackbirds, on the 

 contrary, are sedately stolid, and usually keep in 



