26 A GARDEN OF PLEASURE 



tiny creature in a futile way tried to imitate 

 its parent. But hanging topsy-turvy is 

 rather an impossible trick for a beginner, 

 so it didn't try any more, but set to 

 work at the green-fly on the rose-shoots. 

 The young tit family did not appear 

 again, but a nut-hatch brought her one 

 chick for several mornings to the rose 

 arches. 



It was nearly as big as its mother, and 

 seemed all head and shoulders. It sat 

 shivering and fluttering, while she dug at 

 the nut, every few moments extracting a 

 morsel, and stuffing it down the chick's 

 throat. It did not attempt to dig for 

 itself; when it flew off, one saw how 

 strong on the wing it was. When the nut 

 is fresh, shreds fly about as the nut-hatch 

 hacks it, and then the birds become quite 

 playful ; dashing after the flying fragments 

 and catching them in the air before they 

 fall. 



