BIRDS OF PEASEMARSH 



Their greatest difficulty seemed to be to decide 

 in which particular part of the hedge to locate. 

 They spent a whole afternoon flitting in and 

 out of it. They examined it on the south side 

 of the house and they examined it on the north 

 side of the house. The north side, where the 

 branches of an old apple tree hung protectingly 

 over it, seemed to be their choice when evening 

 came. In the cold, grey dawn of the early 

 morning we knew for a certainty that they had 

 decided to remain, for a song of exquisite 

 sweetness came through the open window; it 

 was the home song of the most accomplished 

 musician of the sanctuary, and the memory of 

 it will remain long after the nesting birds have 

 gone. 



Both the Thrasher and the Catbird live en- 

 tirely on insects, especially caterpillars and 

 beetles, during the early part of the season, and 

 so are very valuable in the garden. When the 

 elderberries ripen they feed on these, and 

 bushes of elderberries will always attract them. 



WAXWINGS 



The Waxwing belongs to another family of 

 this order of birds. There are two species, but 



[64] 



