234 NATURE'S STORY OF THE YEAR 



Sparrows prefer buildings, or ricks, or in default of 

 these they sleep like yellow-buntings in hedges 

 and thickets, or even on the upper branches of 

 trees : the last, however, only in towns. Chaf- 

 finches retire to shrubs below firs or to ivied boles 

 of trees. Greenfinches prefer evergreen shrubs. 

 Yellow buntings hide in the undergrowth of 

 hedges. In every instance, except sometimes in 

 the case of the sparrow, these birds secrete them- 

 selves amid surroundings tinted similarly to their 

 own plumage. Their sleep-places are often at 

 some distance from the places offering food ; and 

 their carefulness in selecting the former suggests 

 some appreciation of the protective colouration. 

 This was once very clearly indicated in a 

 thrush. 



It was winter, and we were accustomed to feed 

 a large number of birds in the garden. Amongst 

 others, a wounded thrush came for the food, and 

 was seen there for some days. Once, when I went 

 out to remove the food-tray, this bird was there, 

 and ran for shelter up a bank and under a yew 

 tree, whose branches, however, did not come within 

 six feet of the ground. I was careful not to watch 



