196 FRANCIS ORPEN MORRIS 



sitting-rooms in search for nuts. I have had poles 

 placed against the windows, close to the glass ; on 

 these I nail Turkey figs, Brazil nuts cut in halves, 

 cocoa-nuts and chestnuts, sometimes slices of apples. 

 All these are highly appreciated by the Nuthatches, 

 and also the various Tits, who appear to prefer them 

 to the bones usually offered to them by kind friends. 

 Chaffinches and Robins also claim their share. Out- 

 side our window (on a stand) I have placed a parrot's 

 cage, replenished with these and other delicacies ; 

 in this all the smaller birds can regale themselves 

 undisturbed by the Sparrows, who are unable or 

 unwilling to pass through the wires. During some 

 late severe weather a hen Chaffinch, that had been 

 constantly fed by the servants, came into the passage 

 every evening, and allowed itself to be taken up and 

 put into a basket to sleep. 



"A few years ago, when riding under a large 

 holly-tree, hearing a lamentable squeaking over 

 my head, I looked about, and saw a large mouse 

 suspended on a horizontal spray of bramble by 

 a thorn run through its tail, no doubt done by a 

 Butcher-Bird. I released the mouse, which ran 

 away, none the worse apparently. 



" I have omitted to mention that the Cole-Tits 

 watch the various windows, and, on their being 

 open, fly in on to our hands, and take pieces of 

 almond from our fingers." 



And again the same correspondent subsequently 

 wrote : 



" I have placed nuts in little baskets close to the 



