5262 Birds. 



nexion with the rearing of these birds which I must not omit to men- 

 tion, namely, that if any of the young would not open their mouths 

 to receive food when requested the old one knocked them souudly on 

 the head with his bill until they did so. 1 observed this frequently, 

 and was not a little amused at it. 



The Redwing (Turdus iliacus). A winter visitor, like the fieldfare, 

 but not near so numerous. A few of these, too, may be occasionally 

 met with here in summer; but I do not think they breed here either. 

 They are by no means so shy nor so difficult to get at as their friend 

 and companion, the fieldfare. Both these, as well as the missel 

 thrush, suffered dreadfully the other winter, when the mavis was so 

 much cut up ; but none seemed to stand it so well as the missel, 

 being doubtless the strongest of the four. 



The Blackbird, Blackie, &c. {Turdus meruld). Generally distri- 

 buted, but not in great plenty in any place. White varieties have 

 been occasionally met with as well as pied. When the storms of 

 winter send our thrushes to the sea-shore to seek for food, this chap 

 betakes itself to farm-steadings, stable-yards, and to the towns; by 

 which means he never suffers so much as the others. A lady who 

 resides here, and who has a love for flowers, had, in the spring of 

 1849, in a portion of her garden set apart for that purpose, got 

 planted a choice selection of annuals. As is customary in such 

 flower-plots, a small stick was stuck into the earth beside each spe- 

 cies, with a slip of paper or ticket inserted in the top, on which were 

 inscribed the names of the various plants. The garden has a wall 

 round it, and there is no means of access but by going through the 

 dwelling-house. Now, it would most naturally appear that these 

 tickets or slips of paper could be of little or no use to any one ; but 

 it is a small and worthless thing indeed that is not envied by some 

 one. The tickets began to disappear, and day after day got less and 

 less, the empty sticks being alone left to tell that they were gone; 

 and what added to the strangeness of the affair was that they were 

 not taken indiscriminately, so as to strip one place entirely bare, but 

 only here and there. In this there appeared a deep cunning. It was 

 very strange, the lady thought, and wondered if it was a trick that 

 some one was playing her. Well, she would see. Her brother, with 

 whom she resided, was told the fact, and questioned ; but no : he 

 knew nothing at all about them, but thought the circumstance very 

 curious. The servants were next taxed ; but no : they, too, knew 

 nothing of the affair, and had seen no one but the lady herself near 

 the spot since the place was planted. This seemed very marvellous. 



