224 
NATURE NOTES. 
course, we ought to have detained it a few weeks, till the season 
of fledgelings was over ; but the bird’s handsome plumage, amber 
eye, and absolute fearlessness, made us restore freedom with 
animation. At the moment, too, w'e scarcely realised the full 
gravity of the situation, and so we let it fly. It flew off to a 
flight of stone steps, where it perched, and regarded me — as the 
water carrier — with a fixed, reproachful gaze. I followed it, 
expecting it to flutter away at my approach, but it calml}’ 
accepted the situation, and putting its beak in the saucer, drank 
“ like any Christian ! ” and flew away to a tall chestnut tree. 
The sequel is pathetic, as the week following, we picked up 
apparently the same bird, in exactly the same place — this time 
quite dead — its zeal having wholly outrun its discretion and 
resulted in a broken neck ; it was a handsome bird, measuring 
fourteen inches long. The day before this tragedy, a bonny little 
finch had made its way through a small opening at the top of the 
same Avindow, and fallen dead on the carpet below. The room 
was only unoccupied for a few minutes, and Ave thought the poor 
frightened little bird must haA’e been escaping from the sparroAV- 
haAA’k, and died of fright before it realised its safetA’. 
The Avagtails here are both numerous and handsome ; there is 
iA’y for them to build in, sunny roofs for them to strut on, and 
Avater to bathe in. What could a Avagtail Avant more ? The 
other day Ave noticed a AA'agtail pecking round the grass Avhere a 
young bullock Avas grazing. Once the}f seemed to touch each 
other — so close Avas the Avagtail to the bullock’s mouth. A 
human footstep Avas heard in the lane, and off fleAv the bird ; 
alas ! for the reflection on human nature ! And indeed, Avhen 
one reflects on the cruelty and ignorance of mankind, and 
womanhind, the ferocity of sparroAv-haAA'ks and other birds of prey, 
and the crafty cunning of cats, one can but rejoice that so many 
of our feathered friends surA'iA’e. 
In Miss Yonge’s charming book, An Old Woman's Outlook, she 
mentions the fact that in hard AA'inters, blackbirds and thrushes 
do not care for crumbs ; but Ave find that crumbs soaked in water 
are an unfailing attraction, alike in frost and drought. The 
Avay in Avhich the parent blackbird loaded his beak, and then fleAV 
off to his nest AA’ith triumphant screams, Avas AA’orthy of record. 
By AA’ay of experiment Ave planted a currant bush close to the 
feeding ground, and let the red clusters of fruit remain until for 
very ripeness they fell off ; not one Avas touched by the black- 
birds, or any other bird, the diet of soaked bread evidently being 
appreciated, and agreeing AA’ith both young and old birds — pos- 
sibly being the nearest in consistency to their natural food of 
AA'orms, &c. It may also be of interest to many to knoAV that 
during the hard frost and drought the soaked bread Avas equally 
attractiA-e to the rooks, and although we put out divers kinds of 
seeds, they neA-er touched one, but cleared the ground of soaked 
bread Avith almost alarming rapidity. 
Once on the subject of birds, it is difficult to know Avhen to 
