THE TREILLAGE BIRD-CAGE 101 



beating against the round, clipped bay trees that 

 are planted in them. Now we are safe from this 

 anxiety, because four neat pale-blue painted stakes, 

 each with a pointed end fixed in the ground, 

 firmly hold them as in a vice. There is an oblong, 

 flat trellis roof which rests upon very tall square 

 blue uprights, and this the children who play in 

 my garden always call the " bird-cage," for, in- 

 deed, in shape it does resemble one. Within the 

 trellis-work, sunk level with the red-tiled floor, 

 there is a large tank in and out of which flit the 

 birds to take surreptitious sips of water, or to 

 clean and plume their feathers ; hence this name 

 is a good one for the arbour. The tank is fed by 

 rain-water from the house-roofs, and the gardeners 

 find it a useful little pool in which to dip their cans ; 

 so no wonder they and the birds welcome the shade 

 of the cage in summer, when fragrant scent from 

 Madonna lilies in the beds, within, is wafted through 

 it by the summer breeze. On autumn nights 

 whilst storms rage I often wonder as I sit snugly 

 ensconced indoors if the little tits that hide within 

 its shelter are safe. By firmly securing the square- 

 mesh trellis to the uprights and winding stout wire 

 round all, by placing heavy wooden beams upon 

 the roof to weigh it down, this lightly constructed 

 shadow-house has so far remained intact and two 

 arched entrances that admit to it make restful 

 picture frames for distant views of the Weald. It 

 is so helpful in a rather young and very open 

 garden occasionally to form artificial breaks, for 

 nothing is more wearisome than to wander through 

 grounds where no surprises occur and all is stretched 



