76 A MIDLAND VILLAGE : GAEDEN AND MEADOW. 



in man by attention to their wants and wishes. The Blackcap, 

 which almost always nests in woods, had here found it possible 

 to take up its quarters close to the fruit it loves ; and of all 

 the commoner kinds the nests were legion. Three Greenfinches 

 built in the same tree one over another,, the nests being little 

 more than a foot apart ; a Wren had so closely fitted a little box 

 with the usual materials of its nest, that the door corresponded 

 with the only opening in the box; a Robin had found an 

 ample basis of construction in the deserted nest of a Blackbird. 

 The only bird that had been forbidden access to this Eden 

 was the Bullfinch; he duly made his appearance, but was 

 judged to be too dangerous to the buds of the fruit-trees. 

 Siskins and Hawfinches have occasionally looked into this garden ; 

 but the Hawfinch has never bred here, and for some unexplained 

 reason the same is the case with the Redstart. 



In my own garden, within a few feet of the house, this last- 

 mentioned friend found a very convenient abode in a hole in my 

 largest apple-tree. The parents became very tame, and when 

 they knew their young were discovered, made very little scruple 

 about exposing themselves in going in and out. The food they 

 brought their young, whenever we happened to see it, was a 

 small green caterpillar; and I sincerely hope we may have them 

 again next year, both for the benefit to my garden and for the 

 pleasure they give me. May the sad loss of one fledgeling depart 

 from their memory before next summer ! It was just launched 

 into the world when it fell a victim to my dog, for I had seen 

 it in the nest only an hour or two before; I had left strict 

 injunctions for the confinement of all domestic animals as soon 



