382 FRAGMENTS. 



pleased, without any symptom of annoying her. Quite 

 at the beginning of June the young birds were hatched, 

 and all went on well till the 9th, when L. M. K., hearing 

 a loud and unusual noise from the old birds, went to 

 look how things were going on at the nest. It seemed 

 prodigiously full ; and, upon looking close, she perceived 

 that it was filled with an enormous rat, then in the act 

 of devouring what remained of a young one, while both 

 the old birds were flying and chattering over it in the 

 most violent agitation. We soon found, however, that 

 they had contrived to carry off four of the little ones 

 into a place of safety, where they watched over them with 

 most extraordinary care. For some days we could not 

 any of us stir out of the house without the old birds 

 instantly appearing close at our side, and following us 

 wherever we went about the garden in the most fearless 

 manner ; and we had a little Skye terrier very like a rat 

 at the time who had a terrible life of it, and was scolded 

 and almost pecked wherever he went. All this went on 

 for nearly a month without any apparent diminution of 

 anxiety on the part of the birds, till at last the young 

 birds grew bold, and used to come daily for crumbs at 

 the kitchen door. One of them, indeed, in the evening 

 came into the house, and was shut up all night, but, when 

 the windows were opened in the morning, flew against 

 them and killed itself. This was almost the last we saw 

 of them that year. 



" Last summer, (1840,) a redstart built its nest in a 

 magnolia by the side of the garden wall at Sir Henry 



