SOME GARDEN BIRDS 



The nestlings had grown very fast, they were 

 already well clad with feathers, and another 

 day or perhaps two would have seen them 

 launched into the world, but the next morning, 

 when I went to look and see if they would get 

 away that day, I was horrified to find, in the 

 place of the neat ball of woven grass tucked 

 down among the plants that grew on the bank, 

 a handful of rubbish strewn on the ground. 

 The tragedy was apparent at a glance ; the nest 

 had been torn to pieces and the young birds 

 were gone. There could be little question 

 but that a cat had eaten them. I greatly fear 

 that it was my old pet cat who was responsible 

 for the crime, but in the absence of direct 

 evidence it covdd not be brought home to 

 her; all the same I did not feel at all pleased 

 with her for many a day afterwards. 



The poor little parents could not have 

 wasted much time grieving over their loss, for 

 within a very short time I found another willow 

 wren's nest near the old spot. This family was 

 reared in safety, and before they left the nest 

 I put tiny rings on their legs so that if ever I 

 met them again I should know them. They 

 were about the kitchen garden for a little 

 while, eating the green saw-fly grubs from the 



203 



