MY PET WOOD THRUSHES. 197 



ter ! Can't stand that, friend Brownie go home, yon scamp ! 

 my ink is everywhere and with an elfish chirp he darts 

 away to find new mischief on the work-table. Now for the 

 spools, and balls, and skeins silks, cottons, tapes, cords, 

 scissors, thimbles, pins, &c. how they roll and bounce, and 

 fly about the room in most admired disorder ! while he sur- 

 veys it all with such a grave and serene look as would ex- 

 press to you the heartfelt conviction on his part, of having 

 just performed a most responsible duty. But you may know 

 that at this rate we cannot afford to Mr. Brownie the fre- 

 quent indulgence of such a spree ; for all would soon be 

 chaos come again with a vengeance. It is only occasionally 

 that we thus surrender to the Prince of Misrule, and he is 

 sure to make the most of it. 



I have some rather curious facts with regard to this face- 

 tious friend of ours, to relate. I found the nest in a lonely 

 piece of shady wood, within the bosom of which a charming 

 spring was sheltered. These birds are so seldom disturbed 

 in any part of the country, that they seem to make no at- 

 tempt at concealment in placing their nests, being governed 

 by convenience only. Indeed, this nest was placed on the 

 lower limbs of a small beach-tree, exactly on the side of a nar- 

 row path that was much frequented by persons walking past 

 at all hours of the day. It was so low that I could nearly 

 touch it with my fingers, and there the old birds brooded as 

 cosily and calmly their bright eyes within a yard of the 

 face of every passer by, as if they sat secure in Paradise, 

 before the children of Adam had taken to bird-nesting. I 

 watched the brood as it came on, and one fine day transferred 

 the nest entire, with the three young that were nearly full 

 fledged, to a small wire cage which I hung in the same place, 

 that the old birds might continue to feed them. It happened 

 that only one of them that I thought to be a male, and the 

 boldest and strongest of the three, perched upon the roost, 

 which enabled it to reach the food brought by the parents, 

 through the bars above. The other two remaining on the 



