398 NATURAL HISTORY READER. 



of a shrub or a flower ; and when I brought home, in my 

 shooting-bag, a tuft of primroses, pyrolas, or lilies of the 

 valley, they were always in attendance to see them put into 

 the bank. For watching my occupation, they preferred 

 something more elevated than the ground, but not so high 

 as the branches of the trees, which were too far from the 

 earth to give them a clear sight of what I turned irp ; for 

 their accommodation, therefore, I made little crosses and 

 crotchets, and, when I was planting, set them up beside me, 

 moving them as I proceeded from place to place. Each 

 was immediately occupied by an attentive observer ; and, 

 whenever an insect or a worm was discovered, one of the 

 nearest darted down and caught it, even from between my 

 fingers, and disappeared for a few moments under the rock 

 or between the great holly, to enjoy his success undisturbed. 

 At his disappearance his place was immediately occupied by 

 another, but at the return of the first it was amiably re- 

 signed by his successor. 



10. The blue-bonnets were almost as numerous as the 

 robins, but they never arrived at the same intimacy and 

 confidence. They never entered the bothy in my presence, 

 and even when I fed them they would not approach as long 

 as I remained outside the door ; but as soon as I went in 

 they descended four or five together, chattering and flutter- 

 ing about the entrance, peeping in at the little window, 

 and stretching their necks as far as they could to see where 

 I was, and if all was right. Then they would begin their 

 breakfast on what I had left for them, talking a great deal 

 about it, Vint occasionally ogling the door, in a manner from 

 which I concluded that there was but small esteem or grati- 

 tude in their conversation. 



11. Far different was the friendship of our little neigh- 

 bor in the holly. In the morning he used to come down 

 and perch on the arm of the bird-cherry, which stretched 

 over the precipice before the door, waiting for its opening 



