6 Birds .that come to our 



ous distinctness. Birds that are unknov/n to the majo- 

 rity of English people. Any one having the privilege 

 to possess Lord Lilford's splendid work on " The Birds 

 of the British Islands," will know very well what a 

 pied flycatcher is like on looking at Mr. Thorburn's 

 lovely plate. 



This spring I have nailed up small boxes, with a 

 hole in one side and a ledge at the opening. 



The boxes are painted green, and are placed here, 

 there, and everywhere, some on the face of the house 

 amongst the creepers, and others on the trunks of 

 trees, at a height of perhaps eight to ten feet. There 

 are several species of birds that will select them as 

 houses. They are " to let — rent free," for the summer 

 months, with the proviso that the landlord may inspect 

 his property from time to time. The tenants will 

 agree to this, if the visits are not too frequent, nor 

 made in too much of a spirit of interference and tire- 

 some curiosity. 



Redstarts, flycatchers, robins, titmice, and a few 

 others will build in these little detached villas, or 

 shall we say rustic cottages .? Gardeners and children, 

 especially boys on mischief bent, must be warned 

 against touching or peering. In our garden a pair of 

 robins have tenanted a box which is hung on a nail 

 to the trunk of a large lime-tree in the shrubbery. 

 The box is just low enough for a tall person to see the 

 shining eye of the hen peering over the edge of the 

 mossy nest, and just for once it won't hurt to lift down 

 the box to see its contents. How wonderfully it has 

 been arranged, the moss and leaf foundation compactly 



