208 EVERSLEY GARDENS 



Of course the soft-billed birds the " hedge- 

 poke" as our Hampshire boys call the hedge- 

 sparrow, the wren, the white-throats, the 

 garden warbler, the black-cap, the flycatchers, 

 willow-wren, and chiff-chaff are invaluable 

 in the garden, and do nothing but good. To 

 see a tiny chiff-chaff going through a Rose 

 bush, searching every shoot and leaf above 

 and below for grubs and aphides, is a pleasant 

 sight to the gardener and the naturalist ; for 

 the quick, dainty movements of the 



" tiny browny bird from out the south " 



are as charming as its work is useful. And 

 the little brown " Kitty-wrens " who build in 

 the haystack, are just as diligent, especially 

 in the climbing Roses on the house. But 

 despite the outcry against the tits, especially 

 the blue tit, I strongly incline to the view 

 that the supposed harm he does to fruit buds 

 is hugely over-rated, and far more than 

 counter-balanced by the innumerable insects 

 he destroys. A pair of blue tits frequent my 

 Rose beds all the winter. I have watched 



