150 FRANCIS ORPEN MORRIS 



neighbourhood of London small birds are almost 

 wholly disappearing." 



Not only by word, but by deed also, did he en- 

 deavour his utmost to protect his feathered friends 

 from their persecutors. It was a year or two after 

 this time that he was one day coming home from 

 a long walk, when he fell in with a bird-catcher in 

 the very act of setting his traps within the limits 

 of the parish of Nunburnholme. This was a case 

 not to be passed over, and he at once proceeded 

 to the spot. Argument was of no avail whatever. 

 The bird-catcher had two stuffed linnets, one of 

 which he placed on the top of the hedge, and the 

 other on a thorn-bush near it. But let us hear 

 the incident related as it was first told : " He was 

 in the act of lining his twigs, and had his decoy 

 bird in a very small cage, and another larger one 

 to put his captives into, all covered over with a thick 

 dark cloth, when I came up. I soon told him that 

 if he did not decamp I should stop if it was till 

 ten o'clock at night, and frighten off every bird 

 that came near. He began to talk very big, but 

 when he found that that was a game that a just 

 indignation would enable me to play at as well as 

 himself, he drew in his horns, and seeing that my 

 foot was pretty firmly set on the ground, he soon 

 1 packed up his traps ' and sheered off, muttering 

 and spluttering as he went. This I did not much 

 mind, but kept my place till he was well out of 

 sight, and remained near some time longer to pre- 

 vent his return. It was the very spot that I had 



