THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS. 
67 
The gentleman who favoured me by sitting (or 
rather standing) for his picture was the common 
thrush — one that I had reared myself. 
I have a great dislike to robbing birds of their 
dearly cherished offspring, and have always endea- 
voured to make children sensible of the cruelty of 
destroying either their nests or eggs ; but being one 
day in the country, I met a little boy with a nest 
thrust into his hat, containing one poor, miserable, 
perishing, half-fledged little creature. I accosted 
him by asking if he were aware of his cruelty, and 
how would he like any great over-grown monster, to 
tear him from his fond mother, his indulgent father, 
and expose him naked to the wind and rain ? (for it 
was then raining fast.) His reply was — ^* Why, 
Marm, vive or six on us chaps have agreed to ze who 
can get most nestes, so we takes all as we can find." 
" And was there only this one in the nest you have 
taken Noa, there wur three more, but Tom 
Snooks would get up the tree too ■ so you ze as how 
he said he seed the nest first ; but I did him, for I 
got hold of the nest, and while he was trying to 
grab the young 'uns out of it, two fell into the bushes 
under us, and while he was looking for them, I 
