THE FLY-CATCHER 415 



and then the little, cringing, unobstrusive hedge- 

 sparrow ; till the whole of the lawn is dotted with 

 bird life in action. 



But the true proprietors of the bowling-green 

 our and its prime favourites the two birds which 

 will hardly leave it through the live-long summer's 

 day, do not appear till a little later in the morning : 

 the spotted fly-catcher and the water-wagtail. The 

 fly-catcher claims, as his department, the lawn- 

 tennis net, the croquet hoops, the garden seats. 

 From these, he watches for each passing gnat or fly 

 or moth, and, with quick, graceful, noiseless 

 flight, dashes out on them as they pass. You hear 

 a slight click of the slender bill ; and the bird, after 

 sometimes catching, in repeated zig-zags, three of 

 them in one flight, returns, perhaps a dozen times 

 over, to his post of observation, before he shifts to 

 the next. His mate, you may be sure, is sitting on 

 her nest not far away; nor will it be long before 

 you see him pay her a visit. He does not mind 

 being watched ; though, as you approach the 

 sanctuary, he will do his little best to scold you 

 away with his tremulous complaint. 



But a still more welcome and still more cheery 

 tenant of the bowling-green is the pied or water- 

 wagtail the "polly- wash-dish," as the country 



