30 THE LIFE OF A BIRD. 



of small birds, which are always most magnani- 

 mously treated by the great bird, whose protec- 

 tion they have sought. The gossiping pen of 

 Rusticus supplies us with another instance in our 

 own country. " The next object of attention," 

 says this amusing writer, " was a titmouse of the 

 large black-headed kind, swinging himself about 

 like a rope-dancer, and whistling out his sing-song 

 just like a fellow sharpening a saw. To my 

 surprise the gentleman entered an old magpie's 

 nest, to which I had paid frequent friendly visits 

 during the previous spring. He immediately 

 came out again, and jumped about, sharpening his 

 saw as before. One might almost as well handle 

 a hedge-hog as a magpie's nest. In this instance 

 some cuttings of gooseberry bushes, skilfully 

 interwoven into an arch above it, rendered it 

 rather more untempting than usual. I was 

 meditating how to commence the attack, when 

 another tomtit flew out in great choler, and rated 

 at me as though I had robbed her. After a good 

 deal of trouble, during which the slender fir top 

 was swinging about with me in the breeze, I 

 succeeded in obtaining a peep into the nest. 

 There was nest within nest : the cosiest, softest, 



