CHILDREN’S COL UMN. 
195 
times he would hide his treasures in the oddest, cleverest corners 
imaginable. These squirrels are nocturnal in their habits, but 
do not hybernate during the winter, and certainly form the 
tamest, prettiest, and most interesting pets it is possible to have. 
Ethel K. Green. 
Feeding the Birds. — Selbornians in this neighbourhood 
during last winter were mindful of the claims of the birds upon 
their beneficence. One of our members (who keeps a quantity 
of poultry and pigeons) told me that it was a most interesting 
sight to see her daily collection of bird visitors. This kindly 
disposed lady made a point of having a quantity of hot poultry 
food served out to these waifs and strays of the bird world daily 
during the severe weather. Sometimes, she believes she has 
had as many as a thousand visitors. She said it was very 
amusing to watch their movements whilst the repast was cool- 
ing. Some would go away and presently return with a number 
of friends, taking care to be in good time for a fair share of the 
meal. One day, when I was getting some seed for the birds in 
the park, I happened to ask the seedsman whether he had sold 
much bird seed during the winter. His reply was that he had 
never sold so much in small quantities (a few pounds), and he 
was convinced the seed was used for feeding the wild birds. 
Bath. W. G. W. 
A Tame Robin. — I send you an account of a tame robin 
who gave us much pleasure at the time, thinking it may be 
interesting to your readers. 
One summer one of these beautiful little birds came to our 
window. We fed him with crumbs, and as he repeated his 
visits we prepared for him a saucer of bread and cheese cut in 
very small pieces. After a time he became so tame that he was 
to be seen at the window whenever we opened it, taking the 
opportunity when the gardener came in the morning for orders 
to the usual window, to fly eagerly in. At luncheon and dinner 
he came on the table, helped himself to the different dishes, and 
on Christmas Day he made a good meal of plum pudding, 
which he seemed to enjoy, picking at it vigorously. In the 
winter he often came to my mother’s bedroom window, tapping 
to come in ; and if very cold he would stay all night — one night 
looking so ridiculous roosting on the cork of a medicine bottle ! 
I have even known him stay two whole days and nights (in bad 
weather), never leaving the house. In the spring, when he had 
a family to feed, he came early in the morning to the bedroom 
window, pecking at it till I opened it, when he would fly in for 
the crumbs of bread and cheese which, we always had ready for 
him. 
One morning I had forgotten his usual repast and was 
obliged to go downstairs to the dining room for it, when to my 
surprise I found the robin was following me through the house. 
