CHAP. SEVENTEEN SPRING BIRDS 



The young, when able to fly, appear often in my garden, for 

 a few weeks, actively employed in doing good service, kill- 

 ing numbers of insects; and every spring a pair or two of 

 flycatchers breed in one of the fruit-trees on the wall, build- 

 ing, as it were, only half a nest, the wall supplying the other 

 half. They cover the nest most carefully with cobwebs, to 

 make it appear like a lump of this kind of substance left on 

 the wall; indeed, I do not know any nest more difficult to 

 distinguish. It is amusing to see the birds as they dash off 

 from the top of the wall in pursuit of some fly or insects 

 which they catch in the air and carry to their young. The 

 number of insects which they take totheir nest inthe course 

 of half an hour is perfectly astonishing. 



Another bird that comes every spring to the same bush 

 to breed is the pretty little whitethroat. On the lawn close 

 to my house a pair comes to the same evergreen, at the 

 foot of which, on the ground, they built their nest, carrying 

 to it an immense quantity of feathers, wool, <2fc. The bird 

 sits fearlessly, and with full confidence that she will not be 

 disturbed, although the grass is mownclose upto her abode; 

 and she is visited at all hours by the children, who take a 

 lively interest in her proceedings. She appears quite ac- 

 quaintedwith them all, sittingsnuglyin her warmly feather- 

 ed nest, with nothing visible but her bright black eyes and 

 sharp-pointed bill. As soon as her eggs are hatched, she and 

 her mate are in a great bustle, bringing food to their very 

 tiny offspring — flying backwards and forwards all day with 

 caterpillars and grubs. 



Both this and the larger kind of whitethroat which visits 

 us have a lively and pleasing song. They frequently make 

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