BIRDS. 63 



We did not visit the place during the next 

 day, which was Sunday, but ascertained from a 

 cowman, who took an intelligent interest in natural 

 history, that they were all right when he called 

 his cattle home to milk in the evening. At six 



ROBIN SITTING ON HER NEST IN AN OLD BISCUIT-BOX. 



o'clock next morning we were maddened to find 

 the female and all her young ones dead in the 

 nest. A close examination revealed the presence 

 of a cat's short hairs upon the bark at the bottom 

 of the slit in the tree, and the fact that the devoted 

 rnother-tit had all the feathers scratched off her 

 back. By the aid of a hooked stick I got her 

 and her nest and young ones, which were all dead, 

 out, and found the bare skin on the poor creature's 



