BIKD-ALTBUISM 69 



beaten off the farmer's gander to get them. He did this 

 once or twice, and finally we had to give him back to his 

 own family. The goose was very fond of H, and she 

 would sit on the ground, and the goose would make a 

 sort of nest on her lap ; and the gander was so jealous he 

 would come and drive the goose off and would beat H. 

 with his wings most fiercely. The goose was killed by 

 some unknown wicked boy, and the gander wandered all 

 over the fields looking and calling for her. He would not 

 eat, and finally died of starvation. I can vouch for this 

 story, as the goose and gander belonged to my cousins. 



Z. 



BLACKBIRDS v. CATS 



May I trespass on your space to tell a little bird story? 

 There was a time when our suburban garden was much 

 infested by cats, to the great disgust of the birds. When 

 we heard the well-known cry of expostulation from the 

 blackbirds, we and the dogs used to run to the rescue 

 and chase away the intruders. So often this happened 

 that at last the dogs would, without our intervention, 

 answer the appeal, and rush with tumult from the house 

 to find the enemy when they heard the particular note 

 of alarm. One day my sister was walking in the garden 

 when she heard a blackbird telling her that danger was 

 near. She followed the call till the bird showed her a 

 cat sound asleep on the roof of an outhouse. When this 

 momentarily harmless foe was dislodged, the call con- 

 tinued and the bird led my sister for some distance to a 

 plantation, where another cat was found sound asleep, 

 also among the bushes. This cat being disposed of, the 

 bird was quite content. We were immensely flattered to 

 find that our small friends realized and appealed to our 

 power and willingness to help them. They were abso- 

 lutely wild birds, not pensioners. 



B. 



September 18, 



