N. Wharton-Tigar—Garden Party at Foxwarren Park 237


a Tit-box and there we see ten baby Tits quite unconcerned and happy.

Very wonderful!


The Bird-room is next inspected—a large airy room opposite the

stables, where are housed many rare beauties, such as the New Guinea,

and Macklot’s Pittas, the new’ Wattle-eyed Flycatchers, Tinker Birds,

and rare Bobins.


From here the party return to the house for tea, where Mr. and

Mrs. Ezra, assisted by two daughters, one a Coronation debutante,

are most kind and hospitable in ministering to the wants of the large

number of guests. I need hardly add that the very best of everything

is put before us.


After tea the Waterfowl, Cranes, Deer, etc., are visited. While this

was going on I decided to rest on the terrace, and thoroughly enjoy

and appreciate the garden. The south side of the house overlooks very

beautiful terraced gardens. There I found a shady seat and listened to

the five Indian Nightingales placed some under standard rhododendrons,

others at the top of a flight of garden steps ; all were in true Indian

manner enclosed in cages completely covered with spotless white calico.

Hidden in this manner they all sang almost incessantly—beautifully

sweet notes. While listening enchanted I sat and enjoyed the very

lovely garden, running down in many terraces to a formal pool below,

where one could see massed tall tulips shown off by brightest red¬

leaved Japanese maples. Indeed, the planting of this beautiful dell

is the work of a garden artist. There are golden and silver conifers,

copper beeches, laburnums—a sheet of yellow, and many other trees in

lovely tints of green, all combining to make a beautiful picture, and to

accentuate this, on a green surrounding an old-world summer-house,

are a flock of Demoiselle Cranes grazing ; while I feast my eyes I further

notice on the opposite corner of the dell a cool-looking informal pond, •

where, in its sunniest part, grow pink water-lilies. Over my head Indian

Doves fly to and fro, Norwich Croppers display on the lawn close to me,

and the beautiful Modena Pigeons alight and show off their trim little

shape. Presently I walk down to the terrace below and on the warm

south walls are sheets of Clianthus like lobster-claws growing on the

wall, Carpentaria Californica, covered with yellow flowers, and

Leptospernum, with thousands of tiny Bose du Barri stars. At the end



