150 ODD HOURS WITH NATURE 



no mystery whatever about the sources of pussy's 

 income. She is living on the daintiest of bird 

 diet, and is able to get it in plenty. The other 

 day I met a cat walking in very leisurely fashion 

 along a garden -path with a young mavis in her 

 mouth. In the interest of bird -life I threw a 

 stone at her, and she dropped the bird and moved 

 away in no very hasty manner. There was some- 

 thing about the whole action and gait of the 

 animal, and particularly her readiness to abandon 

 her prey, which struck one as being strangely 

 out of character, for generally a cat will perform 

 prodigies of exertion rather than relax her grasp 

 upon a living thing she has captured. The 

 gardener explained it by saying that the cats 

 which frequented his domain were " fair glutted 

 with young birds." They were killing them and 

 leaving them half eaten, and for the time being, 

 at any rate, were able to lead the life of overfed 

 epicures. 



It is only necessary to have some acquaintance 

 with the larger gardens and shrubberies about 

 the town to realize the truth of this. In these 

 places the birds nest in security and in numbers 

 which it is difficult to realize. Most of the black- 

 birds and thrushes have now raised their first 

 brood, and the young birds are to be met with' 

 everywhere. Awkward in their movements, with 

 obtrusively yellow edges to their beaks, they have 

 inexperience written all over them ; and they 

 regard with only half-aroused suspicion any 

 animal, human or other, that comes within their 

 vision. A little later they take no chances, but 



