70 FRESH WOODS. 



groups on the lawn one old bird and three 

 young ones in each group. The old one is 

 pecking away in the grass, and the young 

 ones following her with their beaks open, each 

 one getting a worm in his turn. The young 

 ones are quite as big and strong on the wing 

 as the old ones, but I suppose their beaks 

 are not yet sufficiently hardened to dig into 

 the hard ground. 



It has been a matter of surprise to me, that 

 although at different times we are visited by 

 so many birds, they never think of building 

 their nests in the trees and bushes about our 

 place. Once, indeed, a poor little pair of 

 robins did build and hatch their young in the 

 ivy under the eaves of the toolhouse a safe 

 and inaccessible place, one would have 

 thought ; but our rascally old cat had his eye 

 on them. I found out their nest by seeing 

 them carrying in worms. Unluckily, Charlie 

 saw them, too ; and when he thought the 

 young ones were fat enough he scrambled up 

 one night and made a meal of them, and 

 cock robin as well, the old villain ! That is 

 the only nest I have seen. I suppose cats 

 are the cause. 



Charlie is a very large and remarkably 

 handsome cat, of a mild and benevolent 

 aspect ; he is very popular amongst his fra- 



