12 IN NATURE'S WAYS 



PAGE 



THE MERRY TITMICE 102 



How they fare in hard weather Sociable habits The 

 four kinds that come to gardens The long-tails When 

 the flocks break up The great tit's greatness The modest 

 little marsh-tit. 



SNOW-BUNTINGS ........ 107 



The birds like snow-flakes Winter visitors from the 

 Arctic. 



FIELDFARES 108 



Winter's heralds Feeding, roosting, and nesting habits 

 The little travelling parties. 



THE FLOCKING OF BIRDS Ill 



How BIRDS BATH 112 



Birds that dust and birds that wash Pleasures of a 

 dust-bath The blackbird's shower-bath How ducks 

 preen and oil themselves. 



WHITE OWLS 115 



Their love of churches The times of hunting How 

 they carry mice to then: nest Their hissing, snoring, and 

 screaming Their soft plumage When visited by day 

 Nest, eggs, and young Their larders The good work 

 they do Owls compared to hawks. 



WOODCOCK 120 



Migratory and breeding habits How concealed by 

 colouring How they carry their young. 



GIPSY-FOLK 122 



THE LANGUAGE OF FOWLS . . . . . .123 



Young chicken and their notes When pullets lay 

 The clucking of mother hens Chanticleer as the country- 

 man's clock The meaning of the cock's fine crowing. 



HOUSE-MARTINS . . . . . . . .127 



How they build their nests Eggs and young The 

 flocking of the young of the first brood The August 

 gathering of the clans Anecdotes of the war between 

 martins and sparrows How the nestlings are fed The 

 crooning songs of night-time. 



BIRDS THAT BEFRIEND ANIMALS 132 



Wagtails and cows Starlings and sheep The grace 

 and beauty of wagtails Their nests and eggs The grey 

 and the yellow wagtail The grand task of birds The 

 robin and the gardener. 



THE HEN THAT LOVED THE HORSE . . . . .137 



PEACOCKS 138 



Train and tail When peacocks show off A note on 

 concealing colours and patterns. 



