BIRDS' NESTS. 47 



spots. These were placed in Henry's hands, 

 and greatly admired. A second journey was 

 made to the top of the house, and George 

 threw down an immense quantity of twigs, 

 roots, straw, and hay, which it must have cost 

 the poor birds very much pains to have col- 

 lected one by one. 



Gardeners seem to have a hatred of nearly 

 all birds, thinking that they resort to gardens 

 only for the sake of picking off buds, destroy- 

 ing fruit, and gathering up seeds which have 

 been sown. George therefore wanted to pull 

 out another starling's nest, which had been 

 built in the ivy under the shoot, as well as 

 all the sparrows' nests he could find ; but 

 Mr. Miller, seeing that these did no injury to 

 the house, would not allow any mpre to be 

 touched. " I am afraid I shall never be able 

 to convince you," said he to George, "that it 

 is only during a very short portion of the 

 year that the birds do us any mischief. We 

 ought then to be on the watch and drive them 



