My New Zealand Garden 67 



doing its good work among the thistles ; and as 

 you watch them, you hope that every little bird 

 is doing as much good as harm, until you find all 

 your new-born Peas beheaded by those horrible 

 Sparrows, and your Crocuses and Wistaria buds 

 picked to pieces, and away go your hopes. I 

 have buried forty of these pests in one grave 

 the result of poisoned wheat ; but they soon 

 became too sly to eat it. We tried putting some 

 in empty pens among those occupied by pure- 

 bred fowls, but they were so cautious and clever 

 that they would only feed in those pens which 

 contained fowls. 



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