MARCH, 1882. 151 



sight it was to see the little creatures, their feathers tossed 

 to and fro in the hard breeze, as they poised themselves 

 on a branch end, and with a dexterity and rapidity that 

 was almost incredible, stripped every bud on almost 

 every twig. How the little sharp bill went, now a light- 

 ning dab, now a strip of the mandibles, and the branch 

 had been examined by the sharpest little eyes, and the 

 sharpest little beak imaginable. 



Did we not catch sight of a bullfinch as we came up 

 the wood, in splendid spring livery too ; and if he makes 

 as thorough an investigation of every bud as the tits did, 

 the statement that these being insect feeders are only 

 supposed to attack those buds in which insects are 

 secreted is, we fear, an unreliable one. They are much 

 too busy to bother over minute examination, and don't 

 trouble their little heads about a handful of buds more 

 or less. 



' I love the merry, merry spring time, and here it is," 

 sang Cock Robin, as we stepped out at the door. There 

 he was in his rosy waistcoat, piping his bravest on the 

 tuft of an Austrian, while his sober little sweetheart was 

 hopping about on the sward near by. " I'm not so sure 

 of that," said she, pushing her gentle head through the 

 hedge, and smelling a "bite" in the air that made her 

 shiver "it was pretty sharp frost this morning." He 

 paid no attention to the statement, but proceeded to sing 

 something like "Come under my plaidie, my ain bonnie 

 lady," to his own great satisfaction. She was not to be 

 cajoled, however, and insisted that no one else was 

 preparing, and Mrs Grundy Redbreast would vote them 

 a pair of fools to think of beginning housekeeping so 

 early. " Why, the first frost all the grubs and worms 

 will be deep in the earth, and wherever will we get what 



