36 BIRDS' NESTS. 



that in this case he will be very loath to obey 

 my order to take no nests. He has remarked 

 that these birds attack only the flower-buds, 

 and this, he thinks, makes the matter worse ; 

 but he is wrong there, for if the leaf-buds were 

 picked off as well, not only would the fruit be 

 lost, but the trees would be injured ; but as it 

 is, if we lose the fruit this summer, we shall 

 probably have a double crop next year." 



As they approached the shrubbery, a loud, 

 harsh, frequently repeated note was heard 

 and a blackbird darted away from a hedge 

 brambles, flew along close to the ground on 

 the other side of the hedge for some distance, 

 and then crossed the field towards a thick 

 wood which lay beyond the meadow. " No 

 doubt," said Mr. Miller, " there is a black- 

 bird's nest in that hedge ;" and, sure enough, 

 one there was, built of small sticks and roots 

 like the thrush's, but lined with moss instead 

 of mud. There were four or five young ones in 

 it, who all opened their ugly yellow mouths as 



