Tandem : 
A Bit of a Pickle. 
(205) THE BIRD WORLD. 
and he couldn’t forget it for ever so 
long. I scarcely dare open my eyes for 
fear he should peck them. I drew the 
sheet half over my face, and he perched 
on my forehead and pecked at my nose 
from there. T must confess to you that 
I didn’t like it at all. 
A 1 aughty, but Loveable. 
But in spite of all his naughty ways 
I was very fond of “ Tandem,” and was 
extremely sorry when he came to a sad 
and sudden end. We were all away 
from home, and left “Tandem” and a 
Canary in charge of the servants. Their 
cages stood side by side in a sunny 
window, and they were well looked 
after. But they were jealous of each 
other’s singing. One fine day they 
were making a tremendous noise, shout¬ 
ing out at the pitch of their voices to 
each other, “ I can sing the loudest! 
I can sing the loudest! ” I have heard 
other boys sometimes boasting in this 
silly way one against each other, haven’t 
you? Well, after a time there was a 
sudden silence, and “ Tandem ” was 
found lying at the bottom of his cage 
quite dead, the Canary much agitated, 
sorry when it was too late, for his share 
in the catastrophe. I suppose the poor 
little fellow had broken something in his 
throat. 
Birds and Insects. 
The rarity of insects, this season, has 
been repeatedly spoken of here. Now 
many species of birds would suffer 
grievously on this account, if they had 
not the field and garden crops to resort 
to. This they have; and, in conse¬ 
quence, the destruction of corn by birds 
of one kind and another is, this season, 
exceptionally great. It is well known 
that Starlings, for example, when they 
cannot get insects and snails, feed 
ravenously upon berries and grain. And 
who is to say how much one. of these 
immense flocks of Starlings might con¬ 
sume? Then the Rooks! The farmers 
of Northumberland have now reason to 
repent that they did not unite to make 
war upon the Rooks at nesting time. 
A Wonderful Example of Protective Colouration of Eggs. 
