104 LETTERS TO MARCO xvi 



bones and fat by strings to the boughs of the 

 bushes in front of our windows ; these bones 

 are never left by the tits for many minutes 

 all day long. The ox-eye or larger tit, the 

 cole-tit, which is the smallest, and the tit- 

 mouse : all three sorts come, and all seem well 

 and active. There are no prettier birds in 

 their plumage than these little fellows. They 

 are very tame now, and I have often looked 

 at them when they have been close up out- 

 side the window, with my head equally close 

 up inside, for quite a long time. These and 

 the starlings are the only birds which don't 

 seem to feel the cold much, keeping active 

 and lively, and even singing at times. The 

 thrushes and robins, on the other hand, seem 

 to feel the cold worst of all, going about in a 

 dejected manner with their feathers puffed 

 up and a humpy back. The rooks hang 

 about in a very artful way, perched on the 

 branches of the sycamore and walnut trees, 

 from whence they keep a very sharp look-out 

 on the goings-on. Should a sparrow or star- 



