158 Wild Life in a Southern County. 
a ladder, up which the birds came. Pear trees are a 
good deal frequented by many birds; their rough 
bark seems to shelter numerous insects. The window 
was left open all night in the sultry summer weather, 
and presently a robin began to come in very early in 
the morning. Encouraged by finding that no one 
disturbed him, at last he grew bold enough to perch 
morning after morning on the rail at the foot of my 
bed. First he seemed to examine the inside of the 
window, then went on the floor, and, after a good 
look round, finally finished by sitting on the wooden 
framework for a few minutes before departing. 
This went on some time; then a wren came too; 
she likewise looked to see if anything edible could be 
found in the window first. Old-fashioned windows 
often have a broad sill inside—the window frame 
being placed nearly at the outer edge of the wall, so 
that the thickness of the wall forms a recess, which is 
lined with board along the bottom. Now this wooden 
lining was decayed and drilled with innumerable holes 
by boring insects, which threw up tiny heaps of saw- 
dust, as one might say, just as moles throw up 
mounds of earth where they tunnel. Perhaps these 
formed an attraction tothe wren. She also frequently 
visited an old-fashioned bookcase, on the top of 
which—it was very low—I often left some old worm- 
eaten folios and quartos, and may have occasionally 
picked up something there. Once only she ventured 
to the foot of the bed. After leaving the room she 
