34 JBTRDS' NESTS. 



" Except the bullfinches, I suppose/' said 

 Henry, " who in the winter ate off all the 

 buds from the gooseberry-bushes." 



" No, not excepting even the bullfinches. 

 It is quite true that, in the winter, a single 

 bullfinch destroyed at a single meal as many 

 buds as would have produced a gallon of goose- 

 berries, and I ordered them to be shot then ; 

 their food now is principally insects and seeds, 

 so that they make some amends for the mischief 

 they did in the winter. They only came into 

 the garden, recollect, during the very cold 

 weather, when the ground was frozen so hard 

 that they could pick up no seeds. Next year, 

 perhaps, we shall have a milder winter ; anc 

 besides that, I intend to take more pains to 

 frighten them away. But I have no objection 

 to your looking at the nests in the garden, and 

 examining the eggs while the old birds are 

 away, in order that we may know them again 

 when we find them in other places." 



The thrush's nest was first examined. The] 



