BIRDS' NESTS. 



down by a cat that frequented the neighbour- 

 hood. The female, who had gone into it to 

 lay her first egg, had attracted its notice, and 

 had in all probability been devoured, as I never 

 saw her again/ ' 



" Oh, how sorry I am," cried Henry, " to 

 hear the sad ending of that pretty story ! I am 

 sure that no one who heard it would ever de- 

 stroy a wren's nest. I dare say, too, many 

 other birds take just as much pains as wrens 

 do. I never liked cats, and now I shall like 

 them less than ever." 



" As for that matter," said Mr. Miller, " I 

 do not see that poor puss is more to be blamed 

 for catching a bird for food than a mouse. If 

 the nest had been torn out by a mischievous 

 boy, out of mere wilfulness, or to get the eggs, 

 there would have been more reason in your 

 anger. Puss made her supper off a wren, 

 which, perhaps, had just swept away a cobweb 

 and dined on the spider, shortly after he had 

 made a comfortable breakfast on a fly. Any 



