AND THE ROBIN. 95 



imagine that the ancients, on seeing the bird 

 going in and out of this artificial cave, con- 

 sidered the word Troglodytes an appropriate 

 appellation. 



The habits of the hedge-sparrow are not 

 quite so solitary as those of the wren. It will 

 approach the window in cold weather, and there 

 pick up a scanty meal with the robin, the chaf- 

 finch and the house-sparrow. Still, we very 

 rarely see three hedge-sparrows in company. 

 As these birds inhabit low shrubs and the bot- 

 toms of hawthorn fences, and are ever on the stir 

 amid old pieces of wood and lumber, put apart 

 for the use of the farm yard, we cannot be sur- 

 prised that they, as well as the robin and the 

 wren, which are fond of such localities, should 

 fall an easy prey to the cat, the weasel, the 

 foumart, and Hanoverian rat, which last all 

 the world knows to be uncommonly ravenous. 

 To these plunderers, we may possibly attribute 

 the cause why, from year to year, there is no 

 apparent increase in the number of these lowly 

 winter-songsters, be the protection afforded 

 them ever so great. 



I have a Tom-cat here of surprising size and 

 beauty. He would have swung long ago, on 



