230 
NATURE NOTES. 
generally charming. But alas ! in an evil moment an unwar)^ 
gardener killed our pet by accident ; we mourned for it, and had 
it stuffed and set up on the bracket from which it had so often 
sung to us. Then we began to tame another robin, a bright 
perky little chap who came hopping about, and seemed most 
anxious to be friendly. He hardly Avaited to be invited to enter,, 
and soon made himself quite at home. 
“ Oh ! the poor late lamented Dicky has tumbled over,” cried 
some one, one day entering the drawing-room and finding the 
stuffed robin prostrate. The next time the room Avas empty 
the same thing happened, and at last it AA'as found that our ncAV 
tame robin came in and deliberately knocked his predecessor 
over. With ruffled feathers and indignant pecks he flcAv at it 
till doAvn it Avent, then he hopped off contentedly. 
Then A\e began to make experiments as to hoAV much our 
fiery-tempered friend Avould dare, in his rage and fury. We 
put the stuffed robin out on the step of the AvindoAv, and sitting 
inside Avatched him. He dropped doAvn from the ycAV tree at 
once AA’ith a little trill and “ Avent for ” the late lamented ; he 
pecked and danced round it, he knocked it OA’er, and jumping 
on its body gaA^e some more infuriated pecks ; then flying into 
the old tree he sang a song of triumph, trilling aAvay most 
cheerfully. 
Then Ave sent out cards “ At Home,” and put doAA’n in the 
corner “ A Robin Fight,” and Avhen the party arrived and a 
Avhole ring of merry chattering young people had had their tea, 
Ave put the stuffed robin in the middle of the draAving-room floor, 
and, the AA'indoAv haAung been Avide open all the time, Ave sat 
round and Avaited. There Avere ten of us, or more. It had 
not been there fiA'e minutes before, Avith a Avarning trill, in 
sAvooped the little Avarrior, and began a tremendous onslaught 
on its unconscious A'ictim. Every noAV and then it Avould fly off 
nerA'Ously, but only to return in a fcAV seconds, Avhen he Avould 
find the dummy set up again, and setting up his feathers he 
Avould fly at it till its feathers fleAV about, and its glass eyes 
Avere broken Avith the fury of the Avarrior’s pecks. He never 
gaA'e up his feud that autumn, till, fearing damage to our orna- 
ments, Ave took the stuffed bird aAvay to a safer place, ver}^ 
much the worse for Avear. 
D. H. 
THE SELBORNE SOCIETY. 
The object of the Selborne Society is to unite lovers of Nature for the follow- 
ing purposes : — 
The Protection from unnecessary destruction of Wild Birds, Animals and 
Plants ; 
The Protection of places and objects of Antiquarian Interest or Natural Beauty; 
The Promotion of the Study of Natural History. 
The viinimum Annual Subscription (which entitles the subscriber to a 
monthly copy of the Society’s Magazine) is 2 S. 6d. 
All particulars as to membership may be obtained from the Secretary of the 
Selborne Society, 9, Adam Street, Adelphi. 
