PERCHING BIRDS. 147 



places. If there be not a natural concealment of 

 foliage the birds contrive to form an artificial one 

 of dry leaves ; and when the female leaves her 

 eggs, she sometimes covers them in the same 

 manner ; so that the strewing of leaves, mentioned 

 in the old ballad of " Babes in the Wood," is true 

 to the habits of the robin. 



These birds show great attachment to their 

 young, and are bold in their efforts to thwart any 

 intruder on their nest. An instance has presented 

 itself to my notice while I am writing these pages. 

 Our garden robin has evidently chosen for his 

 nesting-place a thick clump of ivy, that hangs 

 over the wall, and partly covers the roof of an 

 out house. The other morning my attention was 

 arrested by a loud wailing cry, accompanied with 

 angry twitterings, which was recognised as the 

 voice of robin in distress. On looking out of the 

 window the cause of his trouble was soon dis- 

 covered ; for, on the roof, basking in the sun, lay 

 our splendid Angora cat, within a very short dis- 

 tance of the clump of ivy. On the edge of the roof 

 was the agonized bird, twittering, hopping, and 

 incessantly jerking his body up and down, with 

 earnest haste, as though panting with eagerness, 

 and about to pounce upon the cat, whom he con- 

 tinued to mob ; and, by degrees, emboldened by 

 the utter nonchalance of his enemy, he hopped 



