INDEX. 



ABELE, beauty of, 127 ; insects fond 

 of, 128 



ANTS in spring, 59 



APPLE, promise of crops, 49 



AUTUMN, foresigns of, 101, 126 ; 

 advantage of mild weather, 181, 

 190 ; beginning of year, 184 



AVOCET, 157 



BABOOL TREE, self-protecting, 3 



BARN OWL, voice of, 167 ; driving 



away young, 175 5 taking mouse 



from bird-table, 29 ; and birds, 31 



BAT in March, 52 ; catching insects, 



60 ; reappearance of, 60 

 BEETLE and cyclist, 51 

 BEWICK'S SWANS migrating, 136 

 BINDWEED in summer and spring, 



BIRDS singing in winter, 1,135 and 

 holly, 2 ; rare, shot, 7 ; and man, 

 21 ; and bad weather, 25, 140 ; 

 and ivy, 30, 31 ; nests, 31 ; 

 starved, 34 ; courtship, 35 ; im- 

 patience of male for eggs, 52 ; 

 seen less in summer, 57 ; mur- 

 derous, 68 ; mortality of, 82 ; 

 larger families, shorter lives, 83, 

 145 ; language of, 89, 100 ; noise 

 in summer, 93 ; silence and song, 

 96 ; gregarious, noisy, 96 ; taking 



warning, 99; great output of, 

 11$; effect of chilly season on 

 eggs, 121 ; long-winged, on 

 hedge, 125 ; speed of flight, 141 ; 

 hearing worms, 149 ; small birds 

 in Britain, 157 ; driving off young, 

 176, 199; and cold, 183; their 

 new year, 185 ; meaning of song, 

 187 ; in mild autumn, 190 ; noise 

 at night, 192 



BITTERN, 157 



BLACKBIRD along streambank, 16 ; 

 contrast to robin, 17 ; starved, 

 34 ; affinity to nightingale, 70 ; 

 righting, 84; music, 95 ; family 

 language, 100; rinding worms, 

 149; pie, 157; arrival, 158; 

 mobbing owl, 175 



BLACKCAP arrival, 54; staying for 

 winter, 141 ; migrating, 161 ; 

 plumage and song, 162 



BLACKTHORN in bud, 32 



BLUEBOTTLES in September, 151 ; 

 in November, 182 



BLUE-TITS, plucky, 27 ; at nesting 

 time, 27 ; and young, 28 ; pretty 

 ways in garden, 127 ; at swinging 

 food, 28 ; paired, 33 



BRAMBLE, useful, 30 



BRAMBLINGS arrival, 159, 161, 162, 

 17! 



BROWN OWL, notes of, 167 ; driving 

 away young, 175, 176 



BROWNTAIL MOTH, "plague" of, 

 129 ; protecting eggs, 130 



