294 ON SURREY HILLS. 



which my house is situated was literally covered with 

 redwings. They must have been very hungry, for 

 they were very tame, and they fed eagerly on the 

 worms that had come out in all directions. The 

 birds had evidently just arrived from a distance, 

 and had pitched down to feed in passing. Judging 

 from a couple that were shot, and brought to me 

 to paint from, they were in good condition. Directly 

 the sun got low, they rose in a body and passed 

 out of sight ; the next day not one was to be seen 

 their feeding-ground was taken up by blackbirds, 

 thrushes, and starlings. These three birds, at the 

 time I write of, came to our doors for scraps with 

 the sparrows and robins. That same winter a 

 fine cock hawfinch used to come for the holly- 

 berries that had ripened in profusion on a tree 

 at the back of our house. The want of water does 

 not inconvenience birds in the least. They may 

 be seen eating snow often enough, as a substitute 

 for drinking. 



The woodpeckers the green or yaffle, and the 

 spotted, greater and lesser, with nuthatches and tree- 

 creepers confine themselves to belts of old timber, 

 no matter what sort, so long as they are old enough. 



