40 A YEAR WITH NATURE. 



they came too near that dagger-like bill. It is mostly during 

 hard weather that this interesting variety visits me, and the 

 score or more which presented themselves to-day afforded me 

 much pleasure and amusement. 



A Pied Wagtail came along, too. Is he not a picture now 

 in his black, white, and grey. This bird did not stay long, 

 flying off to the meadows crying "tisit, tisit, tisit." 



Two relations of the Blue Tit the Great Tit and the Coal 

 Tit also found their way towards the meat bone later on, and 

 lost no time in getting to work. The Mistle Thrush was good 

 enough to stop for a moment or two on his journey towards 

 the Mountain Ash tree, the berries of which he has partaken of 

 many a time this last few weeks. 



Even a couple of old Rooks paid me a visit to see what was 

 about, and started "dibbing" operations, but I am sorely afraid 

 all to no purpose, for they quickly changed their quarters and 

 alighted on the ploughed land in the distance, where in the 

 well-furrowed lines they were probably more successful. 





