160 MWuild Lifein a Southern County, 
will fight furiously with a rival ; in fact, he never 
misses an opportunity of fighting. But he always 
chooses the very early morning for these encounters, 
and so escapes suspicion, except, of course, from 
people who rise early too. It is even said that the 
young cock robins, when they are full grown, turn 
round on their own parents and fight with them 
vigorously. Neither is he a favourite with the upper 
class of cottagers—for there is an‘ upper ten’ even 
among cottagers—who have large fruit-gardens. 
In these they grow quantities of currants for pre- 
serving purposes. The robin is accused of being 
a terrible thief of currants, and meets with scant 
mercy. 
Sometimes while walking slowly along the foot- 
path in a lane with hedges each side a robin will dart 
out of the hawthorn and pick up a worm or grub 
almost under your feet ; then in his alarm at your 
presence drop it, and rush back in a flutter. Other 
birds will do the same thing, from which it would 
seem that the old saying that the eye sees what it 
comes to see is as applicable to them as to human 
beings. Their eyes, ever on the watch for food, 
instantly detect a tiny creeping thing several yards 
distant, though concealed by grass; but the com- 
paratively immense bulk of a man appears to escape 
notice till they fly almost up against it. 
I fancy that the hive bee and some kindred 
insects have a special faculty of seeing colour at a 
