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+Project Gutenberg's Wild Nature Won By Kindness, by Elizabeth Brightwen
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Wild Nature Won By Kindness
+
+Author: Elizabeth Brightwen
+
+Illustrator: Elizabeth Brightwen
+
+Release Date: April 16, 2007 [EBook #21111]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WILD NATURE WON BY KINDNESS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Joe Longo and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                 Wild Nature
+
+               Won by Kindness
+
+
+
+
+         _WILD NATURE WON BY KINDNESS._
+
+
+
+
+             _BY THE SAME AUTHOR._
+
+  MORE ABOUT WILD NATURE. With Portrait
+    of the Author and many other full-page Illustrations.
+    Crown 8vo, imitation leather gilt, gilt edges, in box, 5s.
+
+  INMATES OF MY HOUSE AND GARDEN.
+    With 32 Illustrations by Theo Carreras. Uniform with
+    above, 5s.
+
+                    ALSO
+  GLIMPSES INTO PLANT LIFE. Fully Illustrated.
+    Crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.
+
+
+
+
+                 WILD NATURE
+               WON BY KINDNESS
+
+                     BY
+               MRS. BRIGHTWEN
+
+ _Vice-President of the Selborne Society_
+AUTHOR OF "INMATES OF MY HOUSE AND GARDEN," ETC.
+
+               _ILLUSTRATED_
+
+               EIGHTH EDITION
+
+                   London
+               T. FISHER UNWIN
+              PATERNOSTER SQUARE
+                    1898
+
+            _All rights reserved._
+
+
+
+
+To
+
+SIR JAMES PAGET, BART., F.R.S., D.C.L., ETC., ETC.
+
+MY DEAR SIR JAMES,--
+
+The little papers which are here reprinted would scarcely have been
+written but for the encouragement of your sympathy and the stimulus of
+what you have contributed to the loving study of nature. Shall you,
+then, think me presumptuous if I venture to dedicate to the friend what
+I could never dream of presenting to the professor, and if I ask you to
+pardon the poorness of the gift in consideration of the sincerity with
+which it is given.
+
+                           Pray believe me to be
+                                  Yours very sincerely,
+                                         ELIZA BRIGHTWEN
+
+ THE GROVE, GREAT STANMORE.
+           _June, 1800_.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+    TABLE OF CONTENTS.
+
+     INTRODUCTION.
+   1. REARING BIRDS FROM THE NEST
+   2. DICK THE STARLING
+   3. RICHARD THE SECOND
+   4. VERDANT
+   5. THE WILD DUCKS
+   6. THE JAY
+   7. A YOUNG CUCKOO
+   8. TAMING OF OUR PETS
+   9. BIRDIE
+  10. ZÖE THE NUTHATCH
+  11. TITMICE
+  12. BLANCHE THE PIGEON
+  13. GERBILLES
+  14. WATER SHREWS
+  15. SQUIRRELS
+  16. A MOLE
+  17. HARVEST MICE
+  18. A CALIFORNIAN MOUSE
+  19. SANCHO THE TOAD
+  20. ROMAN SNAILS
+  21. AN EARWIG MOTHER
+  22. THE SACRED BEETLE
+  23. SPIDERS
+  24. TAME BUTTERFLIES
+  25. ANT-LIONS
+  26. ROBINS I HAVE KNOWN
+  27. ROBERT THE SECOND
+  28. FEEDING BIRDS IN SUMMER AND WINTER
+  29. RAB, MINOR
+  30. A VISIT TO JAMRACH
+  31. HOW TO OBSERVE NATURE
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
+
+  FLYING WILD DUCK
+  SACRED BEETLE
+  SWALLOW
+  REARING BIRDS FROM THE NEST
+  STARLINGS
+  FLYING STARLINGS
+  STARLING IN SEARCH OF FOOD
+  WILD DUCK
+  TINY, SIR FRANCIS DRAKE AND LUTHER
+  JAY
+  ANOTHER JAY
+  A YOUNG CUCKOO
+  BUTTERFLY AND CATERPILLAR
+  YOUNG CUCKOO ATTACKED BY BIRDS
+  ARABESQUE
+  ZÖE, THE NUTHATCH
+  NUTHATCH IN A COCOANUT
+  TITMICE IN PURSUIT OF BEES
+  TITMICE
+  BLANCHE THE PIGEON
+  GERBILLES
+  WATER SHREW
+  SQUIRREL
+  MOLE
+  MICE
+  ROMAN SNAILS
+  EARWIG
+  EGYPTIAN BEETLES
+  FLYING BEETLE
+  TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS
+  BUTTERFLY
+  ANT-LION
+  THE ROBIN
+  YOUNG BIRDS
+  CHILD AND PET BIRD
+  RAB MINOR
+  RAB MINOR RUNNING
+  NESTLINGS
+  NEST OF WASPS
+  SNAKE IN CIRCLE
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION.
+
+
+Two short chapters, one describing the life of an Ant-lion, and the
+other the habits of a tame Toad, were added to the second edition, which
+was in other respects a reproduction of the first.
+
+The present edition has been improved by the adoption of a number of
+illustrations which were designed for the German translation of this
+book.
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION.
+
+
+I have often wished I could convey to others a little of the happiness I
+have enjoyed all through my life in the study of Natural History. During
+twenty years of variable health, the companionship of the animal world
+has been my constant solace and delight. To keep my own memory fresh, in
+the first instance, and afterwards with a distinct intention of
+repeating my single experiences to others, I have kept notes of whatever
+has seemed to me worthy of record in the life of my pets. Some of these
+papers have already appeared in _The Animal World_; the majority are
+now printed for the first time.
+
+In the following chapters I shall try to have quiet talks with my
+readers and tell them in a simple way about the many pleasant
+friendships I have had with animals, birds, and insects. I use the word
+friendships advisedly, because truly to know and enjoy the society of a
+pet creature you must make it feel that you are, or wish to be, its
+friend, one to whom it can always look for food, shelter, and solace; it
+must be at ease and at home with you before its instincts and curious
+ways will be shown. Sometimes when friends have wished me to see their
+so-called "pet," some scared animal or poor fluttering bird has been
+brought, for whom my deepest sympathy has been excited; and yet there
+may have been perhaps the kindest desire to make the creature happy,
+food provided in abundance, and a pleasant home; but these alone will
+not avail. For lack of the quiet gentle treatment which is so requisite,
+the poor little captive will possibly be miserable, pining for liberty,
+hating its prison, dreading the visits of its jailor, and so harassed in
+its terror that in some cases the poor little heart is broken, and in a
+few hours death is the result. In the following simple sketches of
+animal, bird, and insect life, I have tried to show how confidence must
+be gained, and the little wild heart won by quiet and unvarying
+kindness, and also by the endeavour to imitate as much as possible the
+natural surroundings of its own life before its capture. I must confess
+it requires a large fund of patience to tame any wild creature, and it
+is rarely possible to succeed unless one's efforts begin in its very
+early days, before it has known the sweets of liberty.
+
+In many cases I have kept a wild animal or bird for a few days to learn
+something of its ways, possibly to make a drawing of its attitudes or
+plumage, and then let it go, else nearly all my pets, except imported
+creatures, have been reared from infancy, an invalid's life and
+wakefulness making early-morning feeding of young fledglings less
+difficult than it would have been in many cases, and often have painful
+hours been made bearable and pleasant by the interest arising from
+careful observation of the habits and ways of some new pet animal or
+bird.
+
+I have always strongly maintained that the love of animated nature
+should be fostered far more than it usually is, and especially in the
+minds of the young; and that, in fact, we lose an immense amount of
+enjoyment by passing through life as so many do without a spark of
+interest in the marvellous world of nature, that book whose pages are
+ever lying open before us.
+
+The beauties of the country might as well have been left uncreated for
+all the interest that thousands take in them. Not only town dwellers,
+who might be excused for their ignorance, but those who live in the
+midst of fields and woods, often know so little about the curious
+creatures in fur and feathers that exist around them that they are
+surprised when told the simplest facts about these, their near
+neighbours.
+
+One reason may be, that it is now so much the fashion to spend the year
+in various places, and those always moving about have neither the time
+nor opportunity to cultivate the little undergrowths of quiet pleasures
+which spring out of a settled home in the country, with its well-tended
+garden and farmyard, greenhouses, stable, and fields--the horses and
+cattle, petted and kindly cared for from their birth, dogs and poultry,
+and all kinds of special favourites.
+
+There is a healthy, happy tone about such a life, and where it exists
+and is rightly maintained, good influence is, or ought to be, felt in
+and around the home. Almost all children have a natural love of living
+creatures, and if they are told interesting facts about them they soon
+become ardent naturalists. I well remember that in my childhood I had a
+great dread of toads and frogs, and a relative, to whom I owe much for
+having directed my mind into the love of animated nature, took up a frog
+in her hand and made me look at the beautiful gold circle round its
+eyes, its curious webbed feet, its leaping power arising from the long
+hind legs; she told me also of its wonderful tongue, so long and
+flexible that it folded back in its mouth, and that the frog would sit
+at the edge of an ant-hill and throwing out the tongue with its sticky
+point, would pick off the ants one by one as they came out. When I
+learnt all this, I began to watch such a curious reptile; my fears
+vanished, and like Kingsley's little daughter, who had been wisely led
+to care for all living things and came running to show her father a
+"dear delightful worm" she had found! so I, too, have been led all
+through my life to regard every created thing, great or small,
+attractive or otherwise, as an object well worth the most reverent
+study.
+
+Perhaps I ought to explain that I have described methods of taming,
+feeding, and housing one's pets with extreme minuteness in order to help
+those of my readers who may be very fond of live creatures, and yet from
+lack of opportunity may have gained no knowledge of their mode of life,
+and what is required to keep them happily in health and vigour. I have
+had to learn by experience that attention to very small details is the
+road to success in keeping pets as well as in other things, and the
+desire to pass on that experience must be my excuse to more scientific
+readers for seeming triviality.
+
+Many admirable books have been written by those well qualified to impart
+their knowledge in every branch of Natural History, and the more such
+books are read the better, but the following pages simply contain the
+life histories of my pets and what I personally have observed about
+them. I shall be glad indeed if they supply any useful information, or
+lead others to the more careful study of the common every-day things
+around them with a view to more kindness being shown to all living
+creatures, and tender consideration for them. I trust I may feel that
+this little book will then have attained its purpose. May it especially
+tend to lead the young to see how this beautiful world is full of
+wonders of every kind, full of evidences of the Great Creator's wisdom
+and skill in adapting each created thing to its special purpose, and
+from the whole realm of nature may they be taught lessons in parables,
+and their hearts be led upward to God Himself, who made all things to
+reflect His own perfection and glory.
+
+    "Gem, flower, and fish, the bird, the brute,
+       Of every kind occult or known
+    (Each exquisitely form'd to suit
+       Its humble lot, and that alone),
+    Through ocean, earth, and air fulfil
+    Unconsciously their Maker's will."
+
+                                  ELIZA BRIGHTWEN.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+REARING BIRDS FROM THE NEST.
+
+
+The most delightful of all pets are the birds one has taken the pains to
+rear from the nest; they never miss the freedom of outdoor life, they
+hardly know what fear is, they become devotedly attached to the one who
+feeds and educates them, and all their winsome ways seem developed by
+the love and care which is given to them.
+
+I strongly deprecate a whole nest being taken; one would not willingly
+give the happy little parent birds the distress of finding an empty
+home. After all their trouble in building, laying, sitting, and
+hatching, surely they deserve the reward of bringing up their little
+babes.
+
+Too often when boys thus take a nest they simply let the young birds
+starve to death from ignorance as to their proper food and not rising
+early enough to feed them.
+
+It is a different matter if, out of a family of six, one takes two to
+bring up by hand--the labour of the old birds is lightened, and four
+fledglings will sufficiently reward their toil.
+
+The birds should be taken before they are really feathered, just when
+the young quills begin to show, as at that stage they will not notice
+the change in their diet and manner of feeding. They need to be
+carefully protected from cold, kept at first in a covered basket in
+flannel, and if the weather is cold they should be near a fire, as they
+miss the warmth of the mother bird, especially at night.
+
+I confess it involves a good deal of trouble to undertake the care of
+these helpless little creatures. They should be fed every half-hour,
+from four in the morning until late in the evening, and that for many
+weeks until they are able to feed themselves.
+
+The kind of food varies according to the bird we desire to bring up, and
+it requires care to make sure that it is not too dry or too moist, and
+that it has not become sour, or it will soon prove fatal, for young
+birds have not the sense of older ones--they take blindly whatever is
+given them.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: STARLINGS.]
+
+DICK THE STARLING.
+
+
+Few people would think a cat could possibly be a tender nurse to young
+birds! but such was really the case with a very interesting bird I
+possessed some years ago.
+
+A young starling was brought up from the nest by the kind care of our
+cook and the cat! Both were equally sympathetic, and pitied the little
+unfledged creature, who was by some accident left motherless in his
+early youth. Cook used to get up at some unheard-of hour in the morning
+to feed her clamorous pet, and then would bring him down with her at
+breakfast-time and consign him to pussy's care; she, receiving him with
+a gentle purr of delight, would let him nestle into her soft fur for
+warmth.
+
+As Dick became feathered, he was allowed the run of the house and
+garden, and used to spend an hour or so on the lawn, digging his beak
+into the turf, seeking for worms and grubs, and when tired he would fly
+in at the open window and career about until he could perch on my
+shoulder, or go in search of his two foster-mothers in the kitchen.
+
+His education was carried on with such success that he could soon speak
+a few words very clearly. Strangers used to be rather startled by a
+weird-looking bird flying in from the garden, and saying, "Beauty dear,
+puss, puss, miaow!" But it was still more strange to see Dick sitting on
+the cat's back and addressing his endearments to her in the above words.
+Pussy would allow him to investigate her fur with exemplary patience,
+only objecting to his inquisitive beak being applied to her eyelids to
+prize them open when she was enjoying her afternoon nap. Dick's love of
+water led him to bathe in most inconvenient places. One morning, when I
+returned to the dining-room after a few minutes' absence, I found him
+taking headers into a glass filter and scattering the contents on the
+sideboard. After dinner, too, he would dive into the finger-glasses with
+the same intention, and when hindered in that design would visit the
+dessert dishes in succession, stopping with an emphatic "Beauty dear!"
+at the sight of some coveted dainty, to which he would forthwith help
+himself liberally.
+
+In summer Dick had to resist considerable temptation from wild birds of
+his own kind, who evidently made matrimonial overtures to him, but
+though he "camped out" for a few nights now and then, he never seemed to
+find a mate to his mind, and elected to remain a bachelor and enjoy our
+society instead of that of his own kith and kin.
+
+Dick was certainly a pattern of industrious activity, never still for
+two minutes. He seemed haunted by the idea that caterpillars and grubs
+existed all over the house, and his search for them was carried on under
+all possible circumstances--every plait of one's dress, every
+button-hole, would be inquired into by his prying little beak in case
+some choice morsel might chance to be lurking there. Dick lived for a
+few happy years, and then his bathing propensities most unhappily led to
+his untimely death. One severely cold day in winter he was missed and
+searched for everywhere, and after some hours his poor little body was
+found stiff and cold in a water-tank in the stable-yard, where the ice
+had been broken. He had as usual plunged in for a bath, and we can only
+suppose the intense cold had caused an attack of cramp, so that he could
+not get out again, and thus was drowned. Many tears were shed for the
+loss of the cheery little bird, who seemed like a bright ubiquitous
+sunbeam about the house, and our only consolation was the thought that,
+as far as we knew, he had never had a sorrow in his life, and we can
+only hope that if there are "happy hunting-grounds" for birds our Dick
+may be there, bright and happy still.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: FLYING STARLINGS]
+
+RICHARD THE SECOND.
+
+
+On a wet stormy day in May a young unfledged bird was blown out of its
+nest and was picked up in a paved yard where, somehow, it had fallen
+unhurt.
+
+There he was found by my kind-hearted butler, who appeared with the
+little shivering thing in his hand to see if I would adopt it. The
+butler pleaded for it, and it squawked its own petition piteously
+enough, but I was far from strong, and I knew at what very early hours
+these young feathered people required to be fed. I therefore felt I
+ought hardly to give up the time which sometimes brought me the precious
+boon of sleep after a wakeful night. Very reluctantly I refused the
+gift, and felt wretchedly hard-hearted in doing so. I will confide to my
+readers that in my secret heart I thought the poor orphan was a
+blackbird or thrush, and they are birds I feel ought never to be caged;
+they pine and look so sadly longing for liberty; even their song has a
+minor key of plaintiveness when it comes through prison bars, and this
+feeling helped my decision.
+
+A few days after I heard that the birdie was adopted in the pantry, and
+was being fed "in the intervals of business." When a few days later I
+was definitely informed that the birdie waif was a starling, then I
+confess I did begin to long for another little friend such as my former
+"Dick" had been, and it ended in my receiving Richard the Second, as we
+called him for distinction, into my own care and keeping, and month
+after month I was his much-enduring mother. Most fledglings are much the
+same at first; whenever I came in sight the gaping beak was ever ready
+for food, and the capacity for receiving it was wonderful. Richard grew
+very fast; little quills appeared and opened out into feathers; his
+walking powers increased till he could make a tottering run upon the
+carpet; and then he began to object to his basket and would have a perch
+like a grown-up bird, practised going to sleep on one leg, which for a
+long time was a downright failure and ended in constant tumbles.
+
+He was always out of his cage whilst I was dressing, and was full of fun
+and play, scheming to get his bath before I did, and running off with
+anything he could carry. When he was about two months old I had to go to
+Buxton for a month's visit and decided that I could not leave Richard
+behind, as he needed constant feeding with little pieces of raw meat and
+was just old enough to miss my training and care. He was therefore to
+make his first start as a traveller, in a small cage, papered round the
+sides, the top being left open for light and air. He was wonderfully
+brave and good, very observant of everything, and if scared a word from
+me would reassure him, until at last even an express train dashing past
+did not make him start. It was very amusing to see the attention
+bestowed upon him at the various stations where we had to get out. A
+little crowd would gather round and stare at such a self-possessed small
+bird. I was asked "if it was a very rare bird?" It seemed almost absurd
+to have to reply, "No, only a common starling;" but people are so
+accustomed to see a caged pet flutter in terror at its unusual
+surroundings, that my kingly Richard rather puzzled his admirers.
+
+When we began life in our apartments, one important consideration in the
+day's proceedings was the starling's food. There was no home larder to
+fall back upon, so a daily portion of tender rump-steak had to be
+obtained, to the great amusement of the butcher with whom we dealt for
+our own joints.
+
+About this time the plain grey plumage began to be varied by two patches
+of brilliant little purple feathers, tipped with greyish-white, which
+appeared on each side of his breast. Some began to peep out of his back
+and head. He moulted his tail, and had rich, dark feathers all over, in
+time, till he arrived at being what he was often called, "a perfect
+beauty"--glossy and brilliant, bronze gold and purple, with reflets of
+rich green, and little specks of greyish-white all over his breast; this
+richness of colour, combined with his beautiful sleek shape, made
+Richard a very attractive bird.
+
+When we returned from Buxton, I was so confident of the bird's tameness
+I used to carry him in my hand out to the tulip tree, and there I often
+sat and read, while Richard would pry into the moss and the bark of the
+tree, searching for insects, and though he could fly well by this time,
+he did not try to do so, but seemed content to keep near me.
+
+One morning I heard his first articulate word, "Beauty," spoken so
+clearly it quite startled me. I had been diligently teaching him, by
+constant repetition, for many weeks, and by degrees he gained the power
+of speaking one word after another, till at last he was able to say,
+"Little beauty," "'Ow de doo?" "Pretty, pretty," "Beauty, dear," "Puss,
+puss," "Miaow," and imitated kissing exactly. All this was intermingled
+with his native whistle and sundry inarticulate sounds, intended, I
+suppose, to result in words and sentences some day. Whilst talking and
+singing, his head was held very upright, and his wings flapped
+incessantly against his sides, after the manner of the wild birds.
+
+Nothing stirred my indignation more keenly than the question so often
+asked, "Have you had your starling's tongue slit to make him talk so
+well?" I beg emphatically to entreat all my readers to do their utmost
+to put an end to this cruel and perfectly useless custom. My bird's
+talking powers were remarkable, but they were the result of his
+intelligence being drawn out and cultivated by constant, loving care,
+attention to his little wants, and being talked to and played with, and
+made into a little feathered friend of the family.
+
+Now must be told an episode which cost me no little heartache. Richard
+was out in my room one morning as usual, when the room door happening to
+be open, away he flew into the next room, and out at an open window into
+the garden. I saw him alight on a tree, but by the time I could reach
+the garden he had gone. I saw a group of starlings in a beech tree near
+by, and another set were chattering on the house roof, but there was no
+telling if my Richard was one of them. I called till I was tired, and
+continued to do so at intervals all day, but no wanderer appeared. His
+cage had been put on the lawn, but to no purpose. I feared I should
+never see my pet again, because I supposed he might be lured by the wild
+birds till he got out of hearing of any familiar voice. I confess it was
+hard to think of my bright young birdie starving under some hedge, for I
+felt sure he was too much of a gentleman from his artificial bringing-up
+to be able to earn his own living. All I could do was to resolve to be
+up very early next day, and call again and again, on the chance of his
+being within hearing. Before six o'clock next morning I was seeking the
+truant. Plenty of wild birds were about, the bright sun glancing on
+their sleek coats--all looking so like my pet it was impossible to
+distinguish him. I little knew that he was then starving and miserable
+under a bush in the upper part of the garden. I continued calling and
+seeking him until breakfast-time, and fast losing all hope of ever
+seeing him again. About eleven o'clock I was returning from the kitchen
+garden, with my hands full of fruit and flowers, when, to my intense
+delight, poor little Richard came slowly out from under a laurel, and
+stood in the path before me, as veritable a type of a birdish prodigal
+son as could well be imagined.
+
+His feathers were ruffled, his wings drooping, his whole aspect
+irresistibly reminded one of the Jackdaw of Rheims; and the way he
+sidled up to me, with half-closed eyes and drooping head, was one of the
+most pathetic things I ever experienced. He so plainly said, "I'm very
+sorry--hope you'll forgive me; won't do it again"; and certainly his
+mute appeal was not in vain, for down went my fruit and flowers, and
+with loving words I took up my lost darling, and cooed over him all
+sorts of affectionate rubbish until we reached home and he was restored
+to his cage. There his one desire was water. Poor fellow! he was nearly
+famished. I think another hour would have seen his end. There is no
+water in the garden, except in the stone vase in front of the
+dining-room window, and he would not have known how to find that, so he
+must have been twenty-eight hours without drinking anything beyond a
+possible drop of dew now and then. I had to feed him with great care--a
+little food, and very often, until he recovered a measure of strength.
+He was very drooping all day, and I quite feared he might not live after
+all, he was so nearly starved to death. After some days, however,
+"Richard was himself again," and as bright and amusing as ever. I have
+not related the amusing characteristics of his "daily tub." His love of
+water was a perfect passion, and water he would have. At first he was
+treated to a large glass dish on the matting in the dining-room, but he
+sent up such a perfect fountain of spray over curtains, couch, and
+chairs, that the housemaid voted "that bird" a nuisance, and a better
+plan was devised. In the conservatory is a pool of water, with rock-work
+and ferns at the back, and there is a central tube where a fountain can
+be turned on. I made a small island of green moss a little above the
+water, and, placing Richard upon it, I turned the fountain on to play a
+delicate shower of spray over him. He was perfectly enchanted, and
+fluttered, turned about, and frisked, like a bird possessed. As he
+became accustomed to it, I began to throw handfuls of water over him,
+and that he did enjoy. He would cower down, and lie with his wings
+expanded and beak open, receiving charge after charge of water till
+quite out of breath; then he would run a few paces away on his island
+till he recovered himself, and then would go back and place himself
+ready for a renewed douche. I never saw such a plucky bird. If I had
+been trying to drown him I could not have done more, for sometimes he
+was knocked backwards into the pool; but no matter, he was up again, and
+all ready in a minute. He generally tired me out, and when I turned off
+the fountain, he would either fly or run after me into the drawing-room
+and go into his cage, which always stood there; and there followed a
+very careful toilette--a general oiling and pluming and fluttering,
+until his bonnie little feathers were all in good order; and then would
+follow endless chatter, and he would inform the world that he was a
+"little beauty," "pretty little dear," &c.
+
+Starlings seem to have an abundant supply of natural oil in the gland
+where it is stored, for his feathers were never really much wetted by
+his tremendous baths, and he was a slippery fellow to hold, his plumage
+was so glossy and sleek.
+
+A word must be said about his temper; it was decidedly not meek by any
+means, and his will was strong, so the least thing would bring a shower
+of pecks in token of disapproval, and if scolded his attitude was most
+absurd; he would draw himself up to a wonderful height, set up his crest
+feathers, and stand ready to meet all comers, like a little fighting
+cock; and when a finger was pointed at him he would scold and peck, and
+flap with his wings with the utmost fury; and yet if a kind word was
+said all his wrath vanished, and he would come on your hand and prize
+your fingers apart, looking for grubs as usual. It seemed strange that
+his habit of thus searching for insects everywhere should continue,
+though he was never by any chance rewarded by finding one. A starling's
+range of ideas may be summed up in the word "Grubs." It was always
+immensely amusing to strangers to see Richard, when out in the room,
+searching with his inquisitive beak in the most hopeless places with a
+cheerful happy activity, as if he always felt sure that long-looked-for
+grub, for which he had searched all the years of his life, must be close
+by, round the corners somewhere, under the penwiper, behind that book,
+amongst these coloured silks; and if interfered with he would give a
+peck and a chirp, as much as to say, "Do let me alone, I'm busy; I've
+got my living to get, and grubs seem scarce." Richard was the only bird
+I have ever had who learnt the nature of windows, he never flew against
+them; he had one or two severe concussions, and being a very sensible
+bird he "concluded" he wouldn't do it again; he would fly backwards and
+forwards in the drawing-room in swift flight, but I never feared either
+the windows or the fire, as he avoided both.
+
+Several times Master Richard was found flying about in the drawing-room,
+and yet no one had let him out; we could only suppose that by some
+mischance the door must have been left open; yet we all felt morally
+certain it had been fastened properly, and there was much puzzlement
+about the matter.
+
+However, the mystery was soon solved by my watching Richard's
+proceedings. I heard a prolonged hammering and found he was at work upon
+the hasp of his cage door. He managed to raise it up higher and higher,
+till by a well-directed peck he sent it clear out of the loop of wire
+which held it in its place. Still the door was shut, and it required a
+good many more pecks to force it open, but he succeeded in time, and out
+he flew--delighted to find himself entirely master of the situation.
+Then I watched with much amusement his deliberate survey of the room.
+
+I was ill at the time, and he first flew to greet me and talk a little;
+he hopped upon my hand, and holding firmly on my forefinger he went
+through his usual morning toilette, first an application to his oil
+gland, then he touched up all his plumage, drew out his wing and tail
+feathers, fluttered himself into shape, and when quite in order he began
+to examine the contents of my breakfast tray; took a little sugar,
+looked to see if there were any grubs under the tray cloth, peered into
+the cream jug, decided that he didn't like the salt, gave me two or
+three hard pecks to express his profound affection, and then went off on
+a voyage of discovery, _autour de ma chambre_. He squeezed himself
+between every ornament on the mantlepiece, flew to the drawers, and
+found there some grapes which were very much to his taste; so he was
+busy for some time helping himself. He visited every piece of furniture,
+threw down all the little items that he could lift, and, as I was
+reading, I did not particularly notice what he was about, until he came
+on a small table near my bed, and then I heard a suspicious noise, and
+turned to find the indefatigable bird with his beak in my ink bottle,
+and the sheet already plentifully bespattered with black splashes and
+little streams of ink trickling over the table cover; such misplaced
+zeal was not to be borne, so Richard had to be caged. When he was seven
+months old, his beak began to turn from black to yellow. The colour
+began to show first at the base of the beak, and it went on gradually,
+until in a month's time it was nearly all yellow, though it was black at
+the tip for some time longer. As time went on, Richard's talking powers
+increased; he quite upset any grave conversation that might be going on;
+his voice dropped at times to a sort of stage whisper, as if he wished
+to convey some profound secrets. "Oh, you little beauty, pretty little
+dear, 'ow de doo?" used to mingle most absurdly with the conversation of
+his elders and betters. When he could not have his bath in the
+conservatory, I used still to give him his glass dish, which we used
+together, for he would never enjoy his ablutions without me, and I
+became considerably sprinkled in the process. His delight was to have a
+water fight, pecking at my fingers, scolding, as if in a great rage,
+using his claws, and all the while calling me "Dear little Dicky;
+beauty; pretty little dear," &c., for he had no harder words to scold
+with; certainly the effect was most comical. When he supposed he had
+gained the victory, he would settle down to a regular bathe, fluttering
+and taking headers until he was dripping wet and delightfully happy, and
+the next thing would be to perch on one's chair, and shake a regular
+shower of drops over one's books or work.
+
+Richard was not, as a rule, at all frightened by noises, or by being
+carried about in his cage in strange places, but early one morning, when
+he was out in my room, he flew away from the window with a piercing
+scream of terror, and hid himself quite in the dark, behind my pillow,
+shivering with fright, as if he felt his last hour had come. We found
+out, when this had occurred several times, that his _bête noire_ was a
+great heron, which used occasionally to leave the lake, and circle round
+the house, high up in the air. It could only have been by pure instinct
+that Richard was inspired with such terror whenever he saw the great
+winged bird, and it showed that artificial training, though it develops
+additional powers and habits, in no way interferes with natural
+instinct.
+
+The starling has a remarkably active brain; its quickness of movement,
+swift flight, and never-tiring activity, all show the working of its
+inner mind; but more than that, it seems to be capable of something akin
+to reasoning. Richard sometimes dropped a piece of meat on his sanded
+floor, and I have often seen him take it up and well rinse it in his
+water, till the sand was cleansed away, and then he would swallow it;
+and a dry piece of meat he would moisten in the same way. Now this
+involved a good deal of mental intuition, and I often wondered whether
+he found out that water would remove the sand by accident, or by a
+process of thought; in either case, it showed cleverness and
+adaptability. So also with the processes of opening the door of his
+cage. He had first to prize up the latch with his beak to a certain
+height, and then by sudden sharp pecks send it clear of the hasp; then
+descend to the floor, and by straight pecks send the door open. If he
+could not get the door to open thus, he understood at once that the
+latch was not clear of the hasp, so he went back to his perch and pecked
+at it until he saw it fall down, and then he knew all was right.
+
+When the second summer of Richard's life came round, some young
+starlings were obtained, as we much wished to rear a hen as a mate for
+Richard in the following year. These birds were placed in a cage in the
+same room with him, as we hoped he would prove their tutor, and save us
+the trouble of teaching them. But no; Richard evidently felt profoundly
+jealous of these intruders, and day after day remained perfectly dumb
+and out of temper. This went on for a week, and then fearing he might
+lose his talking powers, I was obliged to remove them and pay special
+attention to him, to soothe his ruffled feelings. He did not begin to
+talk until more than a week had passed by, evidently resolving to mark
+in this way his extreme displeasure at others being admitted to share
+our friendship--a curious instance of innate jealousy in a bird's mind.
+
+For more than five years Richard was a source of constant pleasure and
+amusement, and was so much a part of my home-life that when anything
+unusual happened, in the way of a garden-party or a change in daily
+events from any cause, one's first thought was to provide for his
+comfort being undisturbed. I confess I dreaded the thought of his
+growing old, and could not bear to look on to the time when I must learn
+to do without his sweet, cheering little voice and pleasant
+companionship. Alas! that time has come, and I must now tell how the
+little life was quenched.
+
+In a room to which he had access, there was a small aquarium half-full
+of water thickly covered with pond-weed. I had left Richard to have his
+usual bath whilst I went down to breakfast, and when I returned I could
+nowhere find my pet. His usual bath was unused; I called and searched,
+and at last in the adjoining room I saw the little motionless body
+floating in the aquarium. The temptation had been too strong; Richard
+thought to have a lovely bathe, had flown down into the water, no doubt
+his claws were hopelessly entangled in the weed and thus, as was the
+case with my former starling Dick, the intense love of bathing led to a
+fatal end.
+
+The sorrow one feels for the loss of a pet so interwoven with one's life
+is very real; many may smile at it and call it weakness, but true lovers
+of animals and birds will know what a blank is felt and how intensely I
+shall ever regret the untimely fate of my much-loved little Richard.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+VERDANT.
+
+
+One day in early summer I found on a gravel walk a poor little unfledged
+birdie, sitting calmly looking up into the air, as if he hoped that some
+help would come to him, some pitying hand and heart have compassion upon
+his desolate condition.
+
+I carried him indoors, and "mothered" the little helpless thing as well
+as I could, by feeding him with hard-boiled yolk of egg mixed with brown
+bread and water. Being a hard-billed bird, I supposed that would be
+suitable food, and certainly he throve upon it. The little blue quills
+began to tell of coming feathers, his vigorous chirpings betokened
+plenty of vocal power, and in due time he grew into a young greenfinch
+of the most irrepressible and enterprising character. His lovely hues of
+green and yellow led to the name of Verdant being bestowed upon him, and
+his early experiences made it a somewhat suitable name.
+
+Poor little man! he had no parents to instruct him, and he consequently
+got into all manner of scrapes. He only learnt the nature of windows and
+looking-glasses by bitter experience; flying against them with great
+force, he was often taken up for dead; but his solid little skull
+resisted all these concussions, and by pouring cold water upon his head
+and some down his throat, he always managed to recover. He once
+overbalanced into a bath, and was nearly drowned; he fell behind a
+wardrobe, and was nearly suffocated; later on he almost squeezed himself
+to death between the bars of his cage--in fact, he had endless escapes
+of various kinds. He was very amusing in his early youth. Whilst I was
+dressing he would delight in picking up my scissors, pins, buttonhook,
+and anything else he could lift, and would carry them to the edge of the
+dressing-table and throw them down, turning his sly little head to see
+where they had fallen. He delighted in mischief, and was ever on the
+watch to carry off or misplace things; and yet he was a winning little
+pet, fearless in his confidence, perching on one's head or shoulder, and
+hindering all dressing operations by calmly placing his little body in
+the way, regardless of consequences.
+
+He lived in his cage during the day, and next to him, on the same table,
+lived a bullfinch--a very handsome bird, but heavy and lethargic to a
+degree; he sang exquisitely, and for that gift I suppose Verdant admired
+him, for his delight was to be as near him as possible. Perched on the
+top of his cage, he gazed down at his friend, and in great measure
+imitated his singing. Bully, on the contrary, hated Verdant, and would
+have nothing to do with him. The two characters were a great source of
+amusement to us.
+
+Verdant was always let out at meal-times to fly about and enjoy his
+liberty, and I am sorry to say he was always on the look-out for any
+mischief that might be possible. Bully's water-jar was fastened outside
+by a small pin; this Verdant discovered was movable, and before long we
+were startled by the fall of the said water-jar, the greenfinch having
+pulled out the pin; he then began upon the seed-box, and that also fell,
+to his great delight; he was then talked to and scolded, and up went his
+pretty yellow wings with angry flappings, and his open beak scolded back
+again in the most hardened manner. He was greatly interested in watching
+the numerous birds frequenting a basket filled with fat which hung
+outside the window, and he would swing backwards and forwards on the
+tassel of the blind, chirping to the outsiders, and watching all their
+little squabbles. Sunflower seeds were his greatest dainty; he would
+perch upon the hand to receive one, or if it were held between the lips
+he would flutter and poise upon the wing to take it. A sort of swing
+with a chain and movable wheel was provided, upon which Verdant soon
+learned to perch and swing, whilst he amused himself by pecking at the
+chain till he disengaged the sunflower seeds I had fixed in the links.
+When he was more than a year old, and I thought he might be depended
+upon, I tried the rather anxious experiment of letting him out of doors.
+He soon became quietly happy, investigating the wonders of tree
+branches, inquiring into the taste of leaves and all kind of novelties,
+when two or three sparrows flew at him and scared him considerably. Away
+he went, followed by the sparrows, and I began to repent my experiment,
+and feared he might go beyond my ken and lose himself. He was out nearly
+an hour, but at last he returned and went quietly into his cage. It
+seemed strange that the wild birds should so soon discover that he was
+not one of their clique, but I suppose Verdant revealed the secret by
+looking frightened, and the others could not resist the fun of chasing
+him. For more than a year and a half my birdie was a constant pleasure.
+Whenever he entered the dining-room my first act was to open Verdant's
+cage, when he would always fly to the bullfinch's cage and greet him
+with a chirp, then look to see if his friend had any provender that he
+could get at--a piece of lettuce between the bars, or a spray of millet
+to which he could help himself; no matter that Bully remonstrated with
+open beak, Verdant calmly feasted on stolen goods _con gusto_, and then
+scouted around for any dainties on the carpet, where he sometimes found
+a stray sunflower seed, always his greatest delight. After his summer
+moulting he became wonderfully vigorous, and would fly round the room
+with such velocity that I often felt afraid he might some day fly
+against the plate-glass windows and injure himself.
+
+That mournful day came at last! He had been out as usual at
+breakfast-time, came on my finger for a seed, had his bath, and went on
+the little swing for more seeds, and flew about with all his joyous life
+and vigour. We had only left the room for a few moments, when, on
+returning, the dear little bird lay dead beneath the window, against
+which he had flown with such force as to break his neck and cause
+instant death.
+
+The sorrow of that moment will never be forgotten; indeed, I cannot even
+now think of my little pet with undimmed eyes--he was a moment before so
+full of life and beauty, so fearless, such a "sonsie" little fellow;
+and then to hold the little golden green body in my hand and watch the
+fast-glazing eye, and think that I should never again have my cheery
+little friend to greet me and be glad at my coming, was one of those
+sharp pangs that true lovers of nature alone can understand. From all
+such I know I shall have sympathy in the tragic death of my much-loved
+little Verdant.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: WILD DUCK.]
+
+THE WILD DUCKS.
+
+
+WHEN our grass was being cut the mowers came upon a wild duck's nest
+containing eight eggs; they were carried whilst still warm and placed
+under a sitting hen; in a week's time she brought out eight fluffy
+little ducklings, which were placed with her under a coop in the
+farmyard. I paid them a visit the next day, but, alas! I saw four little
+corpses lying about in the grass, the remaining four were chirping
+piteously, and the hen was in despair at being unable to comfort her
+uncanny children. Evidently their diet was in fault; I thought I would
+take them in hand, and therefore had the coop brought round to the
+garden, and placed under the drooping boughs of a deodar near the
+drawing-room window, where I could watch over them.
+
+I gave the wee birdies a pan of water, and placed in it some
+finely-shred lettuce, with grits and brown bread crumbs, not forgetting
+suitable food for the poor distracted hen. It was charming to hear the
+little happy twitterings of the downy babes, how they gobbled and
+sputtered and talked to each other over their repast, swimming to and
+fro as if they had been ducks of mature age and experience, instead of
+mere yellow fluffs of a day old; and, finally, they seemed to remember
+they had a warm, comfortable mother somewhere, and sought refuge under
+her kindly wings, where I left them exchanging confidences in little
+drowsy chirps.
+
+I found it needful to guard my little brood with fine wire-work, for
+some carrion crows kept hovering near, and a weasel was constantly on
+the watch to carry them off; but these enemies were successfully
+baffled, and three of the ducks survived all dangers and grew to
+beautiful maturity, the fourth having died in infancy from an accidental
+peck from the hen. In rearing all wild creatures the great thing is to
+study and imitate, as nearly as possible, their natural surroundings,
+and especially their diet. Chopped lettuce and worms made a fair
+substitute for their natural food, but the jubilation that went on when
+a mass of water-weed, full of insects, water snails, &c., was brought
+them, showed that they knew by instinct what suited them best. With
+constant care and attention they grew very tame, and would eat out of
+one's hand, and when let out of the coop would follow me to a certain
+heap of dead leaves where worms abounded, and there, with the most
+amusing eagerness, they pounced upon their wriggling prey, snatching the
+worms out of each other's beak, and tumbling over one another in their
+excitement, all the while making a special chirp of exceeding happiness.
+
+They were named Tiny, Sir Francis Drake, and Luther--I fear the last
+name had a covert allusion to the "Diet of Worms."
+
+When the purple feathers began to show in their wings, and they
+considered themselves quite too old to pay any allegiance to their
+hen-mother, they began to absent themselves for some hours each
+afternoon, and this, too, in a most secret fashion, for I could never
+tell how they disappeared, but they returned in due time, walking
+quietly in Indian file, and lay down in their coop. At last I traced
+them to a pond a long distance off--it really seemed as if they had
+scented the water, for they had to traverse a lawn and wood, go across a
+drive, and through a hedge and field, and then the pond was in a hollow
+where they could not possibly have seen it; but there I found my little
+friends in high glee, darting over the surface of the water, splashing,
+diving, sending up showers of spray from their wings, and going on as if
+they were possessed. I called to them, and in a moment they quieted
+down, and behaved exactly as children would have done when caught
+tripping--they came out of the water and followed me, in the meekest and
+most penitent manner, back to their home under the deodar.
+
+These birds would stay the whole morning with me in perfect content if
+they were allowed to nestle into a wool mat placed at the doorstep of
+the French window leading out upon the lawn; there they would plume
+themselves and sometimes preen each other, and I could watch the way in
+which the feathers were drawn through the apparently awkward bill, yet I
+suppose so suited for its various uses; anyway the feathers came out
+from its manipulations as smooth and sleek as velvet, and when the
+toilet was over the head found its rest behind the wing, and profound
+sleep followed. Sometimes my friends would make a spring upon the sofa
+by my side, I fear with a view to forthcoming worms, of which they well
+knew I was the purveyor; and nothing could exceed the slyness of their
+eyes as they looked up at me and mutely suggested an expedition to that
+heap of leaves!
+
+I must say I derived an immense amount of amusement from those ducks;
+they had such innate character of their own, quite unlike any other bird
+I ever came across.
+
+I had often looked forward to the time when they would take to their
+wings and come down upon the lawn from aerial heights with a grand fuss
+and fluttering of wings, but that desire they never gratified. The day
+came at last when I saw them circling high up in the air, so high that
+they were mere specks in the sky, but where they alighted I never could
+find out. They always re-appeared, walking solemnly (the little
+hypocrites!) one after the other, as if they had been doing nothing in
+particular, and were now coming in exemplary fashion to be fed. I
+believe it is very rarely the case that wild ducks, however they may
+appear domesticated, will remain all the year through with those who
+have reared them, and really take their place in the poultry-yard with
+the other inmates. Still it has been known, and I will subjoin an
+account given me by a friend, which goes to prove that such a state of
+things is possible. My friend gave me in substance the following account
+of her wild ducks:--
+
+"There are different kinds of wild ducks; these are mallards. The first
+we had were hatched by hens. They feed with the other ducks, but show a
+decided preference for Indian corn. They are very troublesome about
+laying, often leaving their eggs exposed, where the crows find them and
+carry them off. We gather most of them we find, to take care of them
+(though the ducks lay in different places each time their nest is
+robbed) until there are preparations for sitting, when, if we have been
+fortunate enough to discover the fact, we add a number of the previously
+gathered eggs.
+
+"The sitting duck comes for food every two or three days, and that is
+all we see of her for some time, until at length she may be seen coming
+through the meadow, the half-grown mowing grass behind her trembling and
+waving in an unusual manner: by-and-by, the road or shorter grass is
+reached, when it is found the proud mother is bringing home her little
+fluffy family of perhaps eight to eleven darkie ducklings--quick,
+active, tiny things that refuse at first all friendly advances, but
+becoming accustomed to their surroundings soon behave much in the manner
+of their elders. There are dreadful fights on the pond when two or more
+little families arrive about the same time, the mother of one flock
+tyrannizing over the members of another, and thus causing many deaths.
+They often fly away, but they always come back again. All through the
+winter they go under cover with the other ducks, but when spring comes
+they are not to be found at night; nevertheless they are sure to be
+ready for breakfast next morning."
+
+I confess I always had a faint hope that my ducks might stay with me, or
+at any rate return from time to time, but their wild nature prevailed,
+and they finally left; only Luther reappeared alone one day and took his
+last "diet" from my hand; but there was a look in his pretty blue eye
+which said plainly, "You will never see me again," and he had his final
+caress and departed "to fresh woods and pastures new."
+
+[Illustration: _TINY, SIR FRANCIS DRAKE AND LUTHER_]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+THE JAY.
+
+
+My Jay was taken from the parent nest, built on the stem of an
+ivy-covered tree which had been blown down in the winter. A young jay is
+a curious-looking creature: the exquisite blue wing feathers begin to
+show before the others are more than quills; the eyes are large and
+bright blue, and when the great beak opens it shows a large throat of
+deepest carmine, so that it possesses the beauty of colour from its
+earliest days, and when full grown and in fine plumage it is one of the
+handsomest of our birds. In its babyhood my jay was much like other
+young things of his kind, always clamouring for food, and seeming to
+care for little else, but as he grew up he attached himself to me with a
+wonderful strength of affection which entirely reversed this order of
+things, for whenever I came into the room he was restless and unhappy
+until I came near enough for him to feed me, he would look carefully
+into his food-trough, and at last select what he thought the most
+tempting morsel, and then put it through the bars of his cage into my
+mouth. He would sometimes feed other people, but as a rule he disliked
+strangers, and I have known him even take water in his beak and squirt
+it at those who displeased him. On the whole, a jay is not a very
+desirable pet; he is restless in a cage, and too large to be quite
+convenient when loose in a room; again, his great timidity is a
+drawback--the least noise, the sight of a cat or dog, puts him in a
+nervous fright, and he flutters about with anxious notes of alarm. He
+is seen to best advantage hopping about on a lawn, where he may be
+attracted by acorns being strewn in winter and spring. It is a pity that
+his marauding habits in game preserves lead to his being so ruthlessly
+shot by gamekeepers till it is almost a rare sight to see the handsome
+bird and hear his note of alarm in the woods. One morning I saw a jay on
+the lawn near the house, and rather wondering as to what he was seeking,
+in a minute or two I saw him pounce upon a young half-fledged bird and
+carry it off in his beak, a helpless little baby wing fluttering in the
+air as he flew away. Their sight is wonderfully keen, and their cunning
+is amusing to watch as they steal by careful steps nearer and nearer to
+their prey, and at last by a sudden dart secure it and make off in rapid
+flight.
+
+[Illustration: THE JAY.]
+
+After a year or two my poor jay met with a very sad fate. A garden-party
+was to take place, and knowing the jay's terror of any unusual noise or
+upstir, I carried his cage to a quiet room where I hoped he would be
+quite happy and hear nothing.
+
+I, however, did not happen to notice that, later on, the band had
+established their quarters near this room, and I suppose the unwonted
+sounds drove the poor bird into a wild state of terror, and that in his
+flutterings he had caught his leg in the bars of the cage; anyway, I
+went up about the middle of the party to see how my pet was faring, when
+I found him in utter misery clinging to the bars, his thigh dislocated
+and his leg hopelessly broken. It was a mournful duty to carry him away
+to merciful hands that would end his torture by an instant death. For
+many a day I missed that bright, handsome birdie who had always a
+welcome for me and the offer of such hospitality as his cage afforded.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: A YOUNG CUCKOO.]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+A YOUNG CUCKOO.
+
+
+Looking out of my window before six o'clock one bright morning in early
+summer, I chanced to see a large bird sitting quietly on the gravel
+walk. Its feathers were ruffled as if it felt cold and miserable, and
+its drooping head told a tale of unhappiness from some cause or other.
+Whilst I was watching it, a little bird darted with all its force
+against the larger one, and made it roll over on the path; it slowly
+rose up again, but in another minute a bird from the other side flew
+against it and again rolled it over. Such conduct could not be
+tolerated, so, dressing quickly, I went out, and picking up the strange
+bird I found it was a young cuckoo nearly starved to death, having, as I
+supposed, lost its foster-parents. The bird was in beautiful plumage,
+except down the front of its throat, where the repeated attacks of the
+small birds in showing their usual enmity towards the cuckoo, had
+stripped off the feathers. The poor bird was only skin and bone, nearly
+dying from lack of food and persecution, and made no resistance when I
+brought him in to see if I could act the part of foster-mother.
+Finely-mixed raw meat and brown bread seemed to me the best substitute
+for his insect diet--but he _was_ an awkward baby to feed--though
+sinking for want of nourishment he would not open his great beak, and
+every half-hour he had to be fed sorely against his will with many
+flapping of his wings and other protests of his bird nature. He would
+not stay quiet in any sort of cage, but when allowed to perch on the rim
+of a large basket quite free, he remained happily enough by the hour
+together. After a few days he grew into a vigorous, active bird, flying
+round the room, and too wild to be retained with safety He was
+therefore let loose, and soon flew quite out of sight. I should hope he
+was quite able to support himself by his own exertions. I must say he
+showed no gratitude for my benevolent succour in his time of need.
+
+[Illustration: YOUNG CUCKOO ATTACKED BY BIRDS]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+THE TAMING OF OUR PETS.
+
+
+Since the love of animal and bird pets seems so universal, both amongst
+rich and poor, it is well that the desire to keep creatures in captivity
+should be wisely directed, and that young people especially should be
+led to think of the things that are requisite to make their pets live
+and prosper in some degree of happiness.
+
+I have often been consulted by some sweet, impulsive child about its
+"pet robin" or "dear little swallow," as to why it did not seem to eat
+or feel happy? and have found the poor victims quietly starving to
+death on a diet of oats, canary seed, or even green leaves, the infant
+mind not feeling quite sure what the "pretty birdies" lived upon.
+
+It is needless to say we might as well try to keep a bird on pebbles as
+give hard grain to a soft-billed insect-eating bird; but this kind of
+cruelty is constantly practised simply from ignorance. I would therefore
+endeavour to give a few general rules for the guidance of those who have
+a new pet of some kind, which they wish to domesticate and tame.
+
+To begin with animals; suitable food, a comfortable home, means of
+cleanliness, and exercise are essential to their health and comfort.
+These four requisites are seldom fully attended to. Often a large dog is
+kept in a back yard in London chained up week after week--kept alive, it
+is true, by food and water, but without exercise, and with no means of
+ridding himself of dirt and insects by a plunge now and then into a pond
+or river. No wonder his piteous howls disturb the neighbours, and he is
+spoken of as "that horrid dog!" as if it was his fault poor fellow! that
+he feels miserable and uses his only language of complaint.
+
+One would suggest, it is better not to keep such a dog in a confined
+space in town, but if he is to be retained he should have one or two
+daily scampers for exercise, the opportunity of bathing, if he is a
+water-dog, plenty of fresh water, dog-biscuits, and a few bones twice a
+day, and a clean house and straw for bedding.
+
+I would call attention to the piece of solid brimstone so persistently
+put into dogs' water pans. It is placed there with the best intention,
+but is utterly useless, seeing it is a perfectly insoluble substance,
+but a small teaspoonful of powdered brimstone mixed now and then with
+the water would be lapped up when the animal drinks, and would tend to
+keep his skin and coat in good condition.
+
+Different animals need treating according to their nature and
+requirements, and surely it is well to try and find out from some of the
+many charming books on natural history all the information which is
+needed to make the new pet happy in its captivity. It is both useless
+and cruel to try to keep and tame newly caught, full-grown English
+birds. After being used to their joyous life amongst tree branches, in
+happy fellowship with others of their own kind, living on food of their
+own selection, it is hardly likely they can be reconciled to the narrow
+limits of a cage and the dreariness of a solitary life; it is far better
+not to attempt keeping them, for what pleasure can there be in seeing
+the incessant flutterings of a miserable little creature that we know is
+breaking its heart in longings for liberty, and though it may linger a
+while is sure to die at last of starvation and sorrow. No, the only way
+to enjoy friendships with full-grown birds is to tame them by food and
+kindness, till such a tie of love is formed that they will come into our
+houses and give us their sweet company willingly.
+
+No cruelty of any kind whatever should be tolerated for a moment in our
+treatment of the tender dumb creatures our Heavenly Father has given us
+to be a solace and joy during our life on earth.
+
+The taming of pets requires a good many different qualities--much
+patience, a very quiet manner, and a cheery way of talking to the little
+creatures we desire to win into friendship with us; it is wonderful how
+that prevents needless terrors.
+
+There are no secrets that I am aware of in taming anything, but love and
+gentleness. Directly a bird flutters, one must stop and speak kindly;
+the human voice has wonderful power over all animated nature, and then
+try to see what is the cause of alarm, and remove it if possible. In
+entering a room where your pet is, always speak to it, and by the time
+you have led it to give an answering chirp, the taming will go on
+rapidly, because there is an understanding between you, and the little
+lonely bird feels it has a friend, and takes you instead of its
+feathered companions, and begins to delight in your company.
+
+A person going silently to a cage and dragging out the bottom tray will
+frighten any bird into flutterings of alarm, which effectually hinders
+any taming going on; but approach gently, talking to the bird by name,
+pull the tray quietly a little way, and then stop and speak, and so draw
+it out by degrees and the thing is done, and no fright experienced. A
+better way still is to have a second cage, and let birdie hop into that
+while you clean the other, and then it is amusing to see the pleasure
+and curiosity shown on his return when he finds fresh seed, pure water,
+and some dainty green food supplied; the loud chirpings tell of great
+delight and satisfaction, and the dreaded process is at last looked
+forward to as a time of recreation. It is much best that one person only
+should attend to the needs of a pet; indeed, I doubt if taming can ever
+go on satisfactorily unless this rule is observed; a bird is perplexed
+and scared if plans are changed, and, not knowing what is required of
+him, he grows flurried, and the training of weeks past may be undone in
+a single day.
+
+Only those who have tried to educate birds can have any idea of the way
+in which their little minds will respond to affectionate treatment shown
+in a sensible way. They have a language of their own which we must set
+ourselves to learn if we would be _en rapport_ with them. Their
+different chirpings each mean something, and a little observation will
+soon show what it is; for instance, my canary fairly shrieks when she
+sees lettuce on the breakfast-table, and her grateful note of thanks
+when it is bestowed upon her is of quite a different character. So also
+is her tender little sound of rejoicing when I give her some broken
+egg-shell; she seems to value it immensely, and chirps to me with a
+great piece of it in her bill, quite regardless of good manners. I often
+think with pain how much birds must suffer when hour after hour they
+call and chirp and entreat for something they want, which they can see
+and long for, and yet the dull-minded human beings they live with pay no
+heed to them, food and water are given, but, in many cases, nothing more
+all day long, not even a little chickweed or groundsel, or the
+much-needed egg-shell to supply strength to their little bones. A bright
+word or two for birdie now and then, and a few friendly chirps as we
+enter the room, would do much to cheer the little prisoner's life, and
+would soon bring a charming response in fluttering wings and evident
+pleasure at our return.
+
+This state of things cannot be attained in a day or a month; it is only
+by persistent kindness, exercised patiently, until the little heart is
+won to a perfect trust in you as a true friend.
+
+Birds can easily be trained to come out for their daily bath, and then
+go back to their cage of their own accord, but it needs patience at
+first. The bird must never be caught by the hand or driven about, but if
+the cage is put on the floor with some nice food in it, and the bird is
+called and gently guided to it, though it may take an hour to do it the
+first time, it will at last hop in, and then the door may be very
+quietly shut. Next time he will know what you wish and will be much more
+amenable, until at last it will be the regular thing to go home when the
+bath is over.
+
+I would condemn the practice of making birds draw up their own water;
+they are never free to satisfy their thirst without toilsome effort, and
+are much more liable to accident when chained to an open board than when
+kept in a cage. It is also sad to know that dozens of birds are starved
+to death or die of thirst whilst being taught this trick--frequently but
+one out of many is found to have the aptitude to learn it.
+
+It is a great help if some specially favourite food can be discovered by
+which the pet creature can be rewarded for good conduct. I _never_ take
+away food or water to induce obedience by privation--a practice which I
+fear is often resorted to in training creatures for public
+exhibition--but an additional dainty I much enjoy to bestow, as a means
+of winning what is at first, it is true, merely cupboard love, but it
+soon grows into something far deeper, a lifelong friendship, quite apart
+from the food question.
+
+Cleanliness is a _very_ important item in a bird's happiness. Whilst
+kept in a cage with but little sand and an outside water-glass which
+affords no means of washing its feathers, a bird is apt to become
+infested with insects; it is tormented by them day and night, and having
+no means of ridding itself of them, it grows thin and mopy, and at last
+dies a miserable death.
+
+There should be a bath supplied daily, suited to the size of the bird,
+and so planned that the cage itself may not get wet, else it may give
+the bird cramp to have to sit on a damp perch or floor. When its
+feathers are dry, some insect powder may be carefully dusted under the
+bird's wings, at the back of his head, where parasites are especially
+apt to congregate, and all over the body, only taking care that the
+powder may not get into the bird's eyes. The cage itself should be well
+washed with carbolic soap and water, all the corners scrubbed with a
+small brush; and, when dry, it might be sponged with carbolic lotion
+over the wire-work to kill any insects which may yet remain.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+BIRDIE.
+
+
+Amongst all the different birds which are kept in cages, either for
+their beauty or song, there is one which to my mind far excels all
+others, not only in its vocal powers, which are remarkable, but for its
+very unusual intelligence. I refer to the Virginian nightingale. It is a
+handsome, crimson plumaged bird, rather smaller than a starling, not
+unfrequently seen in bird-sellers' collections, but seen there to the
+worst possible advantage, for, being extremely shy and sensitive, and
+taking keen notice of everything around, the slightest voice or movement
+in the shop will make it flutter against the bars of its cage in an
+agony of fright, and it therefore looks a most unlikely bird to become
+an interesting pet; but I will try to show what may be done by gentle
+kindness to overcome this natural timidity. This will be seen in the
+history of Birdie, my first Virginian nightingale, my daily companion
+for fourteen years.
+
+He had belonged to a relative, and there was no way of tracing the age
+of the bird when first obtained; I can therefore only speak of those
+years in which he was in my possession. Birdie had been accustomed to
+live in a cage on a high shelf in the kitchen, well cared for, no doubt,
+but, untamed and unnoticed, he led a lonely life, and was one of the
+wildest birds I ever met with. For many months his flutterings, when any
+one came near his cage, could not be calmed, but by always speaking to
+him when entering the room, and if possible giving him a few hemp-seeds
+or any little dainty, he grew to endure one's presence; then, later on,
+he would begin to greet one with a little clicking note, though still
+retreating to the furthest corner of the cage, and a year or two passed
+by before he would take anything out of my hand, but this was attained
+by offering him his one irresistible temptation, _i.e._, a lively
+spider; this he would seize and hold in his beak while he hopped about
+the cage, clicking loudly with delight. After a time I began to let him
+out for an hour or two, first releasing him when he was moulting and
+could not fly very easily. He learned to go back to his cage of his own
+accord, and was rewarded by always finding some favourite morsel there.
+Thus, by slow degrees, he lost all fear, and attached himself to me with
+a strength of affection that expressed itself in many endearing little
+ways. When called by name he would always answer with a special chirp
+and look up expectantly, either to receive something or to be let out.
+His song was very similar to the English nightingale, extremely liquid
+and melodious, with the same "jug-jug," but more powerful and sustained.
+On my return to the room after a short absence he would greet me with
+delight, fluttering his outspread wings and singing his sweetest song,
+looking intently at me, swaying his head from side to side, and whilst
+this ecstasy of song lasted he would even refuse to notice his most
+favourite food, as if he must express his joy before appetite could be
+gratified. After a few years he seemed to adopt me as a kind of mate!
+for as spring came round he endeavoured to construct a nest by stealing
+little twigs out of the grate and flying with them to a chosen retreat
+behind an ornamental scroll at the top of the looking-glass. He spent a
+great deal of time fussing about this nest, which never came to
+anything, but he very obligingly attended to my supposed wants by
+picking up an occasional fly, or piece of sugar, and, hovering before me
+on the wing, would endeavour to put it into my mouth; or, if he was in
+his cage, would mince up a spider or caterpillar with water, and then,
+with his beak full of the delicious compound, would call and chirp
+unceasingly until I came near and "made believe" to taste it, and not
+till then would he be content to enjoy it himself.
+
+During an absence from home, Birdie once escaped out of doors, and was
+seen on the roof of the house singing in high glee; the servants called
+him, the cage was put out, but all to no purpose, he evidently meant to
+have "a real good time," and kept flying from one tree to another until
+he was a quarter of a mile from home. A faithful servant kept him in
+sight for three hours, by which time hunger made him return to our
+garden, where he feasted on some raspberries, took a leisurely bath in a
+tub of water, and at length flew in at a bedroom window, where he was
+safely caged. I never knew a bird with so much intelligence, one might
+almost say reasoning power. He was once very thirsty after being out of
+his cage for many hours, and at luncheon he went to an empty silver
+spoon and time after time pretended to drink, looking fixedly at me as
+if he felt sure I should know what he meant, and waited quietly until I
+put water into the spoon. Another curious trait was his sense of humour.
+Whilst I was writing one day he went up to a rose, which was at the far
+end of the table, and began pecking at the leaves. I told him not to do
+it, when, to my surprise, he immediately ran the whole length of the
+table and made a scolding noise up in my face, and then, just like a
+naughty child, went back and did it again. He would sometimes try to
+tease me away from my writing by taking hold of my pen and tugging at a
+corner of the paper, and whenever the terrible operation of cutting his
+claws had to be gone through, he quietly curled up his toes and held the
+scissors with his beak, so that it needed two people to circumvent his
+clever resistance. He had wonderfully acute vision, and would let me
+know directly a hawk was in sight, though it might be but the merest
+speck in the sky. He once had a narrow escape, for a sparrow-hawk made a
+swoop at him in his cage just outside the drawing-room window, and had
+no one been at hand would probably have dragged him through the bars.
+Whenever he saw a jay or magpie, a jackdaw or cat, his clicking note
+always told me of some enemy in sight. For many years Birdie was my
+cherished pet, never was there a closer friendship. As I passed his cage
+each night I put my hand in to stroke his feathers, and was always
+greeted with a low, murmuring note of affection never heard in the
+daytime.
+
+It was with deep concern that I watched Birdie's declining strength;
+there was no disease, only weakness, and at last appetite failed, but
+even then he would take whatever I offered him and hold it in his beak
+as if to show that even to the last he would try to please me as far as
+he could, but he wanted nothing but the quiet rest which came at length,
+and dear little Birdie is now only a cherished memory of true
+friendship.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: ZÖE, THE NUTHATCH.]
+
+ZÖE, THE NUTHATCH.
+
+
+A visit to a bird-dealer's shop always awakens a deep feeling of pity in
+my mind as I look at the unhappy, flutter-little captives, and think of
+the breezy hill-sides and pleasant lanes from which they came, to be
+shut up in cages a few inches square, with but little light, a stifling
+atmosphere, strange diet, and no means of washing their ruffled feathers
+or stretching their wings in flight. Truly, they are in evil case, and
+no wonder so many die off within a few days of their capture! In some
+places they are better cared for than in others, but in most bird-shops
+dirt and misery seem to prevail amongst the tenants of the cages.
+
+One such place I have often visited for the sake of meeting with live
+curios. The owner was a kind-hearted woman, and did not intentionally
+ill-treat her live-stock; but the shop was very dark and dirty, and one
+could but wonder how anything contrived to live in such close, stivy
+air. On going in one day, I nearly walked over a large, pensive-looking
+duckling which stood in the middle of the shop. His brother had been
+considered suitable for the adornment of a table-lamp with a
+looking-glass stand, on which a bright yellow duckling was placed, as if
+swimming on water; this bird, having some darker markings, was of no use
+for that purpose and had been allowed to live. He had a strange,
+old-fashioned look, and gave one the impression that he was already
+tired of life and felt bored. A lark on its little piece of turf,
+fluttering and looking up for a glimpse of blue sky; a dejected robin,
+with no tail to speak of, and sundry other sad-looking specimens met my
+pitying gaze, and I suppose I had caught their sorrowful expression,
+for I was startled by a sharp voice near me, saying, "What's the
+matter?" I turned to reply, and found the inquiry was made by a grey
+parrot, who introduced himself as "Pretty Poll," and was ready to make
+friends to any extent. But my attention had been caught by seeing what
+looked like a nuthatch: only it was moping and ill, with eyes shut and
+feathers ruffled. I asked about it, and was told it had some injury to
+its foot, and was unsaleable, as the woman feared it would not live. I
+made a bid for it, and it was accepted. I confess I was not sorry to
+leave the stilling air of the shop and bring my new pet home. I fitted
+up a large cage with pieces of wood and tree-bark, a pan for bathing,
+sand, and fine gravel; a bone with a little meat upon it hung from the
+roof of the cage, and other suitable food was placed in a tin. The poor
+birdie was a pitiable object for some days; she ate now and then, but
+remained for the most part quite still, with closed eyes, from morning
+till night. Then she began to creep up and down the small tree-stem I
+had placed in the cage. She took a bath and plumed herself, and in less
+than a fortnight she became quite well and vigorous, and very amusing
+in a variety of ways. Never was there a more active, busy little
+creature.
+
+Her characteristic was life, so she was named "Zöe," and before long she
+seemed to recognize her name, and would give an answering chirp. The
+pieces of bark appeared to afford a never-failing interest. They were
+examined and investigated in every crevice. Like a little woodpecker
+hanging head downwards, Zöe would hammer at a nut fixed in the cracks of
+the bark, and would hide away unfortunate mealworms not required for
+immediate use.
+
+Zöe regularly honeycombed the little tree-stem with her incessant
+hammering, and in the numerous holes thus made she kept her supply of
+food. No sooner was her tin filled with small pieces of raw meat than
+she began stowing them all away for future use. She seemed to exercise a
+good deal of thought about the matter; a morsel would be put in and out
+of a hole half a dozen times before it was considered settled and
+suitable, and then it had to be well rammed in and fixed, and off went
+the busy little creature to fetch another piece, and so on, till all
+was disposed of, and the tin left empty. Zöe was greatly exercised by a
+half-opened Brazil nut: it was too large to fix into the bark, it would
+not keep steady while she pecked at it, and yet there were good things
+inside which must be obtained. I watched her various devices with great
+amusement. She hung head downwards from the tree-stem and hammered at it
+on the ground, but it shifted about, and she made no way; then she
+carried it in her beak and tried fitting it into various places. I hope
+she did not swear at it, but she seemed to think the thing was
+possessed, for it was not like the ordinary nuts: she could manage them;
+they would go into holes in the bark; this wouldn't fit anywhere, and
+yet she could not give it up. At last, by a bright inspiration, she got
+it fixed into a space between the tree-stem and the side of the cage.
+Now she was in high glee, and all the household might have heard the
+rapping that went on while she scooped out the inside and chipped off
+pieces to be hidden carefully away in some secret place.
+
+Zöe had a cosy nook under a sloping piece of bark, to which she would
+retire at times, and sitting down on the bottom of her cage in the
+shadow, looked like a little grey mouse. When appetite brought her out
+again, she would go to her tree-larder and pick out the choice hidden
+morsels, as if they were the insects which would have been her food if
+her lot had been cast amongst tree-branches instead of in a cage.
+
+When winter began, Zöe was placed in the conservatory, where a tame
+robin often came for a few hours to enjoy his daily crumbs and the
+pleasant warmth of the air. Bobby was greatly puzzled at the nuthatch,
+watched her hammerings from the top of the cage, walked round it,
+surveying the provisions inside, and at last he made up his mind to get
+in somehow and partake of the longed-for dainties. I could see quite
+plainly the attraction, the hesitation, the pros and cons, and then,
+finally, the resolve, and felt very curious as to how the birdish mind
+would carry out its intention. There was only one place, where the bars
+were rather widely apart, so that the nuthatch could have got out if she
+had possessed half the wits of the robin. After a quiet survey and a few
+flights backwards and forwards, Bobby saw this place, and made towards
+it, sat and considered for a few seconds, and finally went in. The
+nuthatch was sitting quietly under her piece of bark, and did not see
+him; so he picked up the desired morsels, and, after a few minutes, went
+out where it came in. These visits he repeated frequently through the
+day, but once I was amused to see that he forgot "the way out," and put
+himself in a great fuss, realized that a cage was a prison, and flew up
+and down in a fright, until by chance he saw the opening, and glided
+out. At last Zöe caught him in the act of purloining her goodies, and
+was most indignant. A rush at the thief, with an angry chirp, sent Bobby
+flying away in ignominious haste, a wiser, but not a repentant bird; for
+he continued his robberies, only with care to avoid being caught; he
+ventured only a little way into the cage, ready to go out at a moment's
+notice.
+
+Zöe had a good deal of quiet humour, and was a character in her way. She
+considered me very attentively one day, with a roguish look in her black
+eyes, and then, going to her tree-stem larder, she pulled out a hidden
+mealworm and held it up for me to see, with an evident wish that I
+should know about it, and possibly with a little birdish triumph that
+she possessed such delights; and then it was put back again and well
+rammed into its crevice until the hungry moment should arrive. After a
+few months Zöe became tame enough to be let out of her cage, and would
+hop quietly about the room, and, like a small, grey-coated detective,
+would peer about stealthily under tables and chairs in search of live
+dainties; and extremely pretty she looked as she crept up the curtains
+with jerky motions, evidently thinking they were tree-stems where, by
+careful search, delightful centipedes and beetles might be found.
+
+I do not know if naturalists have remarked that the nuthatch has a very
+limited range of vision. Zöe could see nothing beyond twelve or fourteen
+inches; the most tempting mealworm might lie on the floor of the cage
+unnoticed if she happened to be on her tree-stem; and I have tried
+bringing the insect nearer by degrees, and found that only when within a
+foot of her eyes could she see it, and I fancy then only indistinctly
+as she would peer about excitedly, as if uncertain what it was, until
+near enough to be in the focus of clear vision, and then, by a sudden
+dart, she would seize and flit away with it.
+
+At first Zöe's roosting-place was under the curved piece of bark lying
+on the floor of her cage, but after a time she took up her nightly
+quarters in a small box which hooked on to the side of her cage. It was
+a very cramped and uncomfortable lodging, and I wondered how she
+contrived to squeeze into such a small space. It occurred to me that a
+little cocoa-nut with a hole at one end would be the sort of
+sleeping-chamber she would prefer, as being most like a hole in a
+tree-stem, in which, probably, nuthatches roost.
+
+An empty cocoa-nut was, therefore, provided. With birdish distrust and
+caution Zöe only eyed it for some days, then perched on it; but finally
+she went in, and it was amusing to see her evident delight: how she went
+incessantly in and out, and turned round and round inside, and finally
+sat down and remained in it for an hour or more, quite still and happy,
+peering out at any one passing by, her sleek head and neck looking
+remarkably like a snake, and her furtive black eye observantly watching
+all that went on around her.
+
+Her cage, when not in the conservatory, was placed on a table in the
+drawing-room, close to where I was sitting, and thus she was frequently
+spoken to and noticed, which is one great secret in taming birds and
+animals. They soon learn to greet one with some token of recognition,
+and their often solitary lives are brightened and cheered by such
+companionship.
+
+An amusing thing occurred one day while I was away from home for a few
+hours. Zöe's cage had been placed in the sun, and a friend of mine,
+glancing at the bird, saw her in an apparently dying state, her head
+hanging on one side, the beak wide open, all the feathers ruffled, and
+the whole aspect of the bird indicating the near approach of death. The
+bell was rung, the servants came in, and whispered consultations were
+held as to what could be done, and "What would mistress say?" seemed the
+uppermost thought. All at once, Zöe jumped down and began a vigorous
+hammering at her tree-stem, as full of life as ever, and she was at once
+voted "a little impostor." When I returned and heard the account, it was
+easy to explain that my birdie had been enjoying a sun bath, which
+always gives rise to most lackadaisical positions while the state of
+dreamy absorption lasts.
+
+The mealworms which Zöe mainly lived upon were kept in a tin
+biscuit-box, which she knew well by sight, and one day, being too busy
+to spare time to feed her with them, I opened her cage-door and put the
+box down a little way from the cage on the floor, and placed a small log
+of wood for her to descend by. Down she came, perched on the edge of the
+box, looked at the layers of flannel which covered her delightful worms,
+and tugged at one corner after another till she obtained her prey. After
+swallowing two or three, she thought a little store might be useful, and
+began taking them in her beak, and searching for some convenient
+hiding-places, but as I did not desire to have the drawing-room neatly
+ornamented with mealworms, I had to prevent that little design being
+carried out. My tiny pet lived happily for about a year, but when the
+moulting time came she grew weak and ill, and did not seem to have
+strength to produce her new plumage; for, in spite of all possible care,
+she drooped and died. She lives in my memory as one of the most gentle,
+innocent birdies I have ever had, absolutely without temper, contented
+and cheerful, a perfect pattern of industry, chipping out holes in her
+log of wood, and flitting about with a happy little chirp from morning
+till night, a bright example of what a cheery life may be lived, even by
+a caged bird, when kindly treated and cared for thoughtfully.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+TITMICE.
+
+
+I must own my strong liking for these active, saucy little birds. For
+eighteen years I have always had a basket hung just outside the
+dining-room window containing their favourite food, _.e._, fat of any
+kind, cooked or uncooked; and most amusing it is to watch their little
+odd ways and tempers whilst frequenting the said basket. Four species
+thus studied showed distinct characteristics. Directly I put out a fresh
+supply of fat, the Cole Tit would spend all his time and energies in
+carrying it away, piece by piece, to lay by in store for the future, in
+crevices in the bark of trees, and this work he would carry on with
+misplaced energy until the basket was emptied. The Greater Tit and Marsh
+Tit came quietly for the supply of their own personal needs, and to feed
+their young in nesting time, but the Blue Tit was by far the most
+amusing. His attitudes were quite a study; he seemed rather to prefer
+being upside down; clinging to the basket and hammering away at the hard
+fat, head downwards, was a favourite pose; then, when any one else
+desired a share, he would make a stand with open beak and outspread
+wings and enact "king of the castle" in the most impertinent manner,
+considering his tiny dimensions. A guerilla warfare seems always going
+on amongst these Blue Tits. If one was in the basket and remaining
+perfectly still, I knew two or three others were meditating a sudden
+combined assault, but it seemed as if the steady gaze of the titmouse
+in possession kept them at bay for a time. At length a twittering
+scrimmage ensued, and the combatants disappeared. I once coaxed a Blue
+Tit to live in the dining-room for a few days, and he made himself very
+happy, constantly flitting about in search of insects, running up and
+down the curtains like a veritable mouse, alighting on any joint of cold
+meat which happened to be on the sideboard, and making an excellent
+dinner in Bohemian fashion. Of course his fearless curiosity led him
+into difficulties. He would sit on the edge of a jug and peer down to
+see what it might contain, and his plumage was not improved by the baths
+of milk or cocoa which he met with in the pursuit of knowledge of this
+kind. Some years ago an empty cocoa-husk with a hole at one end,
+furnished with nesting materials, was hung up just above the basket of
+fat. A large tit began to build in it, but unhappily for him a Blue Tit
+had also been house-hunting, and determined to settle in it. I saw the
+matter decided by a pitched battle between the two; they fought
+desperately, rolling over and over on the lawn, pecking, chirping,
+beating each other with their wings, like little feathered furies as
+they were.
+
+[Illustration: Titmice.]
+
+At last it was ended, and Blue Tit was victor. It was pretty to see the
+tiny pair building their nest, with little happy twitterings and
+confabulations over each piece of moss or dried leaf, and so fearless
+were they that a large blind was often let down close to and over the
+husk without disturbing the inmates. When the hen bird was sitting, the
+cock would bring a green caterpillar for her every four or five minutes,
+and sometimes take her place on the nest. I often took the husk down
+from its nail to show the brave little bird sitting on her eggs. If
+touched she would hiss and set up her feathers, but did not leave her
+nest. When the young birds were hatched, the parents were incessantly at
+work from early morning till late at night bringing small caterpillars
+about every two minutes to supply the wants of the tiny brood. One can
+judge of the usefulness of these birds in ridding our gardens of insect
+pests by the amount consumed by this one pair. By a moderate
+calculation, and judging by what I saw one afternoon, I believe they
+must have brought 3,570 in the course of one week. At last the day came
+when five little blue heads peeped out of the entrance to the husk. One
+after another the little ones flew into branches near by; the last one I
+held in my hand for a while that I might draw its portrait. Fearing it
+might be hungry if I kept it too long, I placed it in a cage on the
+lawn, where the old birds found it and fed it for me through the bars. I
+then brought it in again, and having finished its likeness, had the
+pleasure of restoring it to its parents. The Blue and Cole Tit often
+choose the inside of a disused pump as their nesting-place. A Cole Tit
+built in an old pump in our grounds for many years, the curved spout
+being its mode of ingress and egress. I could open a small door and look
+at the pretty little hen on her nest, and then at her numerous family,
+and watch their growth till old enough to fly. Certainly young birds
+show a grand lesson of obedience, for creeping out into the world
+through a dark, curved pipe, must have seemed a rather perilous mode of
+exit. Another less fortunate Cole Tit built in a post-box placed by a
+garden gate, and seemed in no way disconcerted when letters came in
+suddenly around and upon her. She usually laid eighteen eggs in a deep,
+soft nest of moss and hair. As boys were apt to take this nest year
+after year, a lock was placed to the box to protect the little bird; but
+the genus boy has no pity, and through the slit for the letters, some
+cruel urchin, vexed at not being able to take the nest, put in a stick
+and killed the poor little mother and broke the eggs. For several years
+a Blue Tit chose to build her nest in the lower part of a stone vase in
+the garden. There was a hole for drainage in the bottom, and through
+this hole the little bird found a circular space just suited for her
+nest. That particular vase could not be filled with plants till long
+after all the rest were gay with flowers. We were obliged to wait till
+the domestic affairs of the Tit family were ended, else their fate would
+have been sad indeed. There is no doubt that these birds do contrive to
+secure their share of peas and other things in the kitchen garden, and
+are by no means favourites with the gardeners, but I still maintain that
+the good they do in destroying insects counterbalances their evil doings
+in other respects. However, they sometimes commit other misdemeanours.
+My head gardener came to me one day looking very serious, and began by
+asking what he was to do about "those Blue Tits." "Why, what have they
+been doing?" I asked. "Two of them have been sitting at the entrance of
+one of the hives, and they have picked off and killed every bee as it
+came out, and now they have begun upon a second hive." "Well, you had
+better hang up some potatoes stuck over with feathers, and that will
+frighten them away." "I've done that, ma'am, and they sit on the
+potatoes and look at me!" It was a trying case of utter contumacy, and
+at last I was obliged, for the sake of saving my bees, to let one little
+victim be shot and hung up as "an awful example" to the rest, and it
+proved an effectual remedy. My basket of fat used to prove very
+attractive all through the cold weather, when, I suppose, these tiny
+birds need the caloric it supplies; they always left off coming as soon
+as the days were warm and insects plentiful.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+BLANCHE, THE PIGEON.
+
+
+Pigeons possess a great deal more individuality of character than any
+one would suppose who has only seen them in flocks picking up grain in a
+farmyard, like domestic fowls.
+
+They show to better advantage when only a few pairs are kept and fed
+daily at some settled place; but to make really interesting pets two are
+quite sufficient, and may be made very amusing companions. Some species
+may possess more mental capacity than others. Those I have to speak of
+were snow-white trumpeters. A pair was sent to me, but, to my sorrow, I
+found on opening the basket that the male bird had escaped on the way;
+so I could only put the solitary hen in a cage, and do all that was
+possible in the way of plentiful food and kind care to make her happy;
+but all to no purpose. The poor bird pined and grew weaker every day,
+till she became unable to get up to her perch. I used, therefore, to go
+to her every evening and place her comfortably for the night; and she
+soon grew tame enough to like being caressed and talked to. When spring
+returned I obtained a male pigeon, and hoped Blanche would accept him
+for a mate, but she showed a great deal of temper, and made him so
+unhappy that he had to be exchanged for another--a fine snow-white bird
+like herself, and, happily, of such a forbearing disposition as to
+endure being considerably "hen-pecked." Now began the curious part of
+Blanche's history. The pair built a nest in a small pigeon-house close
+to my window, so that I was able to watch all the family arrangements
+with much interest. Blanche liked to be with me for some hours in the
+morning, sitting on the table pluming herself, quite at ease, and when
+that operation was ended she generally seated herself on a large Bible
+which lay at one end of the dining-table, and there she usually went to
+sleep; a white dove resting on the Word suggested to one's mind many a
+beautiful emblematic thought. These visits to me were paid most
+regularly when a nest was finished and the eggs were being hatched; she
+then shared the duties of incubation by turns with her mate. He would
+sit patiently for four hours on the nest, while Blanche spent that time
+with me; then, punctually at the right moment, she would wake up, and,
+lazily stretching her wings, would fly out at the open window to see how
+affairs were getting on at home, and take her place on the nest for her
+appointed four hours.
+
+She was a most eccentric bird in the matter of laying eggs. I sometimes
+found she had made me a present of one, neatly placed amongst my working
+materials! In fact, wherever she happened to be upon the table would be
+deemed by her a suitable place for laying; and, as I always conveyed the
+eggs to her nest, her little freaks did not much matter. But at last
+she took it into her wilful little head to lay her eggs in the
+coal-scoop, an arrangement which by no means improved her snowy plumage.
+She had a pretty crest, which curved over her head, and her feet were
+clothed with rather long feathers reaching to the claws. At our
+breakfast-time she would often sit close to my plate, letting me stroke
+her and draw out her pretty wings. I must own she was as conceited as
+any peacock, throwing herself on her side and stretching out a feathered
+foot, little dreaming how she was being laughed at for her affected
+attitudes. If she had a fault, it was her temper! I have seen her go up
+to her mate and give him a most uncalled-for peck, and he--amiable
+bird!--would bear all her unkindness so meekly, only answering by a
+propitiatory coo. Blanche reared many sons and daughters, but none were
+so interesting as herself. I ascribe her unusual tameness to the loving
+care bestowed upon her in her long illness. When once a bird's
+affections are won in that way they generally remain firm friends for
+life.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+GERBILLES.
+
+
+These curious little animals were brought to my notice by a scientific
+friend who had seen them at the Zoological Gardens, and heard that they
+were to be obtained there by applying to Mr. Bartlett.
+
+As I always regretted the untimely death of my pet jerboa, I thought
+these little rodents would fill his place, and prove amusing pets. And,
+accordingly, I paid a visit to the Zoo, and found a whole colony of
+gerbilles of all ages living very amicably together in a large,
+strongly-built wooden box, with bran, oats, and nuts for provender.
+
+It was no easy matter to secure a pair of suitable size and age. I could
+but admire the patience of the attendant who made persevering attempts
+to catch the nimble creatures for me, but they leaped and sprang about,
+darted through his fingers, disappeared into holes, and seemed to enjoy
+his discomfiture. At length a lively pair, with sleek skins and perfect
+tails, were securely caged.
+
+Then I was warned to keep them in a tin-lined cage, as they would "gnaw
+through anything," even the solid teak chest in which they were kept was
+being rapidly demolished by their powerful incisors.
+
+The gerbilles were placed in a plant case, four feet long, with glass
+sides and top, through which their gambols could easily be seen. The
+case had a glass partition, and on one side lived a pair of chipmunks,
+or striped American squirrels. They were highly incensed at their new
+neighbours, springing with all their force against the partition, with
+low growlings, casting up the cocoa fibre with their hind legs, as if to
+try and hide them from their view. They soon found a little chink,
+through which, I am afraid, some very strong language was launched at
+the new-comers.
+
+Happily the gerbilles did not mind. They found delightful tree-roots to
+gnaw at, plenty of food, and freedom to frisk and frolic to their
+heart's content, so their neighbours were free to growl as much as they
+liked, and they in their turn raised a hill of fibre and played at
+hide-and-seek in their new domain.
+
+But let me now describe these gerbilles. I believe there are several
+species, differing somewhat in appearance. These were fawn-coloured,
+with sleek, soft fur, which, like the chinchilla, was blueish next to
+the skin. They were about the size of small rats, with little ears and
+long tails, with a black tuft at the end. The fur was white underneath,
+the eyes jet black and very large, and long black whiskers, which were
+always in motion. The hind legs being longer than the front ones,
+enabled the creature to spring and leap along the ground with great
+rapidity, as I found to my cost one night, when five of them got out of
+their case and gave us an hour's occupation before they could be
+recaptured. One managed to get inside an American organ, and effectually
+baffled all our efforts to secure him. There was no help for it, he had
+to be left there, and I went away with an anxious mind as to what his
+busy teeth would be employed upon all night; and, sure enough, next
+morning a velvet curtain was found nibbled and tattered, and being
+converted into a nest for the enterprising gerbille! They became very
+amusing, tame little creatures, ready to take dandelions, nuts, or any
+little dainty, from one's hand.
+
+As they breed very readily in England, I was soon presented with a
+little family of five very tiny, pinkish-coloured infants, quite blind,
+and destitute of hair. They were not attractive, and so were left to
+their mother's care till they could see and were properly clothed, and
+then they were extremely pretty, and rapidly developed all the habits
+and manners of their parents, gnawing wood, nibbling nuts, and having
+merry games of their own, darting with wonderful quickness in and out of
+the tree-roots, and getting up small battles for some coveted morsel of
+diet. The first pair were quiet enough, and agreed happily together, but
+when, later on, mother and daughter happened to have a little brood at
+the same time, things became complicated, and it was no uncommon sight
+to see the two mothers careering about, each with an infant in its
+mouth, and it often fell to my lot to take care of the unfortunate
+children and replace them in the nest whilst the mothers had a
+"stand-up" fight, and this is a literally true expression, for gerbilles
+sit bolt upright and fight each other with their front feet; but, though
+they appear to be in desperate conflict, I must say I never saw that any
+damage was done. As to their gnawing power, it is almost beyond
+description. I gave them a strong wooden box as a nursery for the young
+gerbilles, but before long they had eaten out the back and sides, and a
+mere skeleton of a box remained. There was a piece of zinc, which formed
+a partition, but they ate a hole right through the zinc in no time, and
+when a wire cage, with a sliding door, was placed in the plant case,
+they soon learnt how to lift up the door and get out. We often watched
+the formation of the family nest, which was constructed of wool and hay
+nibbled very small, and carried by mouthfuls and woven together. It
+generally had two outlets for ingress and egress. There the entire
+family would sleep during the day amicably enough, but towards evening
+the nursery disputes would begin, and old animosities led to frequent
+battles and scrimmages, because somebody wanted some one else's pieces
+of wool for the precious infants. Still they were very tame, amusing
+little creatures, liking to be stroked and fed and rewarded by a run
+upon the breakfast-table, where they would examine every dish and plate
+in a delicate, inquiring way, not touching the contents--only trying to
+add to their small amount of knowledge of the outside world. Their food
+consisted of bran, oats, pea-nuts, wheat, fresh dandelion and
+clover-leaves, and on these they lived in perfect health and beauty.
+
+As the colony increased, it was needful to make several homes for the
+gerbilles, and the original pair happened to be, for a time, in a cage
+upstairs on a landing. One of these found its way out of the cage, down
+the stairs, across the hall, and was discovered next morning in a room
+where the younger members of the family were kept. This would go to
+prove a keen scent, which, I suppose, guided the little animal to find
+its friends, and also confirms what travellers have written about
+gerbilles living in large colonies and always keeping together.
+
+One evening I had to read some natural history papers at a Band of Mercy
+meeting in a neighbouring village, where the clergyman's wife took great
+interest in promoting kindness to animals, and as I proposed speaking
+about the gerbilles, I thought I would take some of them with me to show
+the children. Accordingly a mother and four little ones, were put into a
+cage with some food and bedding for their comfort whilst being
+exhibited. I was concerned to see the extreme terror they seemed to feel
+at the unusual motion of the carriage, and in a few minutes one became
+convulsed and literally died of fright. I held the cage in my lap, and
+talked to the others to reassure them, fearing more casualties, but
+after a while they settled down, and we reached the schoolroom in due
+time. I was scarcely prepared for the tremendous sensation the gerbilles
+created. Remarks in broad Hertfordshire greeted their appearance. "Whoy,
+here's a lot of moise." "Noa, they ain't; they's rats!" "Will they
+boite?" and then such a cluster of children came round me they had to be
+called to order, and the cage was carried round that all might see the
+little foreigners, and through all the after-proceedings many pairs of
+eyes remained fixed upon the cage and its inmates. I fancy that evening
+will long be remembered by the children.
+
+The great difficulty that attends the keeping of these little animals is
+their rapid rate of increase. It is true they can all be kept together,
+for, as I have said, though there are squabbles they do not result in
+any personal injury, and thus my colony was allowed to go on till there
+was no counting the number of generations that existed. I very much
+wished to reduce the numbers, and give some away, but could never tell
+which were the mothers of the small pink infants I was being presented
+with continually. I tried putting a little family of the babies into a
+cage in the plant case, hoping the mother who belonged to them would
+then appear and take care of them; but no, the entire colony trooped in
+and ran riot in the new place, and if a young gerbille was by chance
+left uncovered in the _melée_, a twentieth cousin would take it up
+tenderly as if it was its own mother, and replace it in the nest--a very
+emblem of brotherly kindness and charity. The colony had finally to be
+dispersed and given away in small detachments to different friends, and,
+strange to say, in no other case did the numbers increase, I imagine
+because the requisite conditions of space and quietness were not
+realized as in the pleasant home I was able to provide for them.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+WATER SHREWS.
+
+
+Hearing that the little patients in a London hospital had scarcely any
+toys, and that they especially desired a very large doll, I had one
+dressed for them, and various other interesting items, such as an album
+of pictures, bags of shells, a stamp snake, &c., were prepared; but a
+large box was needed in which to pack all these treasures; and one which
+had been for months in the wine-cellar was brought up for that purpose
+into the hall.
+
+It was filled with straw, and as I was watching this being taken out I
+noticed some small black animals darting about in it.
+
+"They must be young rats," I exclaimed, "and the rare kind, too--the
+black rat, which has been almost entirely eradicated by the stronger
+brown species." A curious instance, by the way, of a foreign interloper
+driving out the native.
+
+I immediately resolved to secure these animals, whatever they might
+prove to be, and, armed with leather gloves, and an empty glass globe to
+place my captures in, I began to search in the straw, and soon secured
+the supposed rats, but they proved to be a pair of water shrews--jet
+black, lively little creatures, with sharply-pointed snouts and teeth,
+as I soon discovered to my cost. I had taken off my gloves and was
+watching the activity of the shrews, when suddenly they flew upon each
+other, biting and screaming with rage, and, thinking they would kill
+each other at that rate, I tried to separate them, but one turned and
+bit me pretty severely, and it was with some difficulty they were
+parted. One I put into a zinc fern case, and the other into a large
+empty aquarium, with shingle at the bottom, moss and wool for bedding,
+and a large pan of water for swimming and bathing.
+
+They were rather larger than the common mouse, jet black above, and
+greyish-white beneath--restless, active creatures, usually found near
+ponds and ditches; and how ever these two had found their way into a dry
+cellar, and lived in a box of straw will always remain a mystery. I
+learnt from books that they fed on worms and insects, and that diet was
+provided, though much to my distress, for it is a miserable thing to see
+any living creature tortured and devoured alive, even though it may be
+in obedience to natural instincts. Happily I soon found a substitute. I
+was showing one of the shrews to a fellow-student of natural history,
+and with a long feather soon attracted the little animal's attention; he
+always came out of his bed and sprang upon the feather like a little
+tiger, dragging it about and holding on with the grip of a bull-dog, so
+that one could lift him off the ground and keep him swinging a minute in
+the air to see the pretty white fur underneath. My friend suggested that
+it probably fed on small birds and thought the feather was part of its
+daily fare.
+
+I obtained a fowl's head from the larder, and then it was a sight to see
+how it was pounced upon and dragged about until securely hidden under
+the moss, when we could hear our little friend crunching the bones and
+tearing it to pieces as if he had not had anything so good for a long
+while.
+
+One shrew died in a few days, but the other lived three weeks in perfect
+health, and I believe it was an accidental failure of sufficient food
+that led to the death of the second; their appetite seems to be, like
+that of the mole, most voracious, and unless they obtain a constant and
+ample supply of food they quickly die of hunger.
+
+They are worth studying for a few days, but their dreadful odour and
+fierce character make them anything but pets. I suppose there is hardly
+any animal in England so fierce and combative, and probably that may
+account for the fact that one so often comes across a dead shrew lying
+on the path in summer.
+
+When swimming, the shrew's furry coat perfectly resisted the entrance of
+moisture; it always came out absolutely dry. The said coat was most
+carefully kept in order; a daily brushing and cleansing went on, the
+little tongue was often at work licking off every little speck of dust;
+the toes were spread out and examined; the small amount of tail kept in
+order. I could but think how many a lesson we may learn from the small
+as well as the great creations of God's hand--habits such as this little
+animal possessed might, in the way of cleanliness, lead to the
+prevention of endless diseases, if imitated by those who never dream of
+daily cleansings as being necessary to health and life.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: SQUIRREL.]
+
+SQUIRRELS.
+
+
+If one lives in the country where these graceful little animals exist,
+it is well worth while to attract them near the house so that one may
+enjoy the sight their gambols and minister to their wants by suitable
+diet. As I have already said, for many years food was placed in a basket
+outside the dining-room window to attract the charming little titmice,
+and four species might be seen feasting on fat of different kinds. I
+placed Barcelona nuts for the nuthatches, and they came and shared the
+contents of the basket with the tits. The nuts also drew a squirrel to
+the spot, and after about a year, the little fellow became so used to
+seeing us moving in the room that he would sit in the basket with his
+graceful little tail curved over his back, cracking his nuts, and
+nibbling away quite at ease. Then the window was opened and the nuts put
+on a table inside the room, and there little "Frolic" sits whilst we are
+at meals and forms one of the family, holding his nuts cleverly in his
+paws, whilst his sharp teeth bite a hole in them, and, regardless of
+tidiness, he flings the shells about as he nibbles at the kernels,
+looking at us with his black, beady eyes, perhaps speculating upon what
+our breakfast may be. How much more enjoyable is this sort of pet than a
+poor caged squirrel whirling round in his wheel, condemned to a dreary
+life, with no freedom or change, no intercourse with his kind.
+
+In town there is, perhaps, no way to keep a squirrel but in a cage; even
+so, by an occasional release from its captivity, a constant variety in
+its food, and its being talked to and noticed, its life may be made
+less irksome, and, if young, it may eventually be made quite tame, and
+become an interesting daily companion.
+
+We derived great amusement from our squirrel visitors; one after another
+they would leap up the side of the window and spring in and out of the
+basket in quick succession, carrying away a nut at each visit, playing
+and skirmishing with each other in lively fashion. I am sorry to confess
+there was great jealousy amongst them. A second squirrel took to coming
+into the room, and Frolic and he had a pitched battle, in which our
+favourite, poor little fellow! lost half his ear, and a sponge and water
+were needed to efface the sanguinary stains left by the fight.
+
+The squirrel's great enemy is the cat. One would not think she could
+catch the agile little creature; but one day we saw a cat watching an
+unconscious little squirrel under the tulip-tree: we did not dream that
+she could harm it, but in a moment she made one swift rush at her prey.
+The squirrel ran at full speed, but alas! before we could interfere it
+was caught and carried away.
+
+At Dropmore, the gardener told us he had a cat that kept the Pinetum
+quite clear of squirrels. They certainly nibble the young shoots of firs
+and horse-chestnuts unmercifully in the spring, and one very dry summer
+they took very kindly to our peaches and nectarines; but I freely
+forgive their little sins, and should be sorry to miss them from the
+lawn where there are often four or five to be seen at once.
+
+They chase each other round a tree-stem with wonderful agility, and
+express their animosity with angry grunts and a stamp of the foot like a
+rabbit. In autumn I have acorns and beech-mast collected, and store some
+bushels of each to be doled out through the winter and spring; strewn
+under the tulip-tree this food, mixed with corn, attracts an amusing
+variety of live creatures. Besides the squirrels which are constantly
+there, we see jays, wood-pigeons, jackdaws, rooks, and flocks of the
+smaller birds; if snow should prevail, a whole rookery will come to see
+what is to be had. By constantly watching their movements I have learnt
+that the squirrel's tail has quite a language of its own. It can be
+curved over its back and so spread out that on a wet day it forms a
+complete shelter from rain. It will take the form of a note of
+interrogation or lie flat on the ground, stand out at an angle or
+bristle with anger, according to the mood of the possessor.
+
+I did not find the American chipmunks, before alluded to, at all
+tameable. They were very handsome, of grey colour with dark brown
+stripes on their sides.
+
+They were extremely wild, and would spring round their cage in perfect
+terror when looked at, so, finding they could not be made happy in
+confinement, I let them loose in the garden in the hope they might
+burrow under a large rhododendron clump, but after a day or two they
+disappeared, and I suppose they made their escape to a neighbouring
+wood, so that I have little hope of ever seeing them again.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+A MOLE.
+
+
+A live mole above-ground is a somewhat rare sight, for, as a rule, his
+habits are altogether subterranean; but now and then he may be captured
+by a sudden grasp as he scrambles along in his odd, unwieldly fashion,
+and a curious fellow he is in many ways.
+
+Strolling quietly along a country lane one summer's evening, I heard a
+great rustling in a dry ditch, the dead leaves were being scattered
+right and left, and I stopped to see what could be the cause. In a
+minute the black velvet coat of a mole appeared, and I at once resolved
+to endeavour to catch it, though with little hope of success, for the
+creature is apt to dive into the ground in an instant when alarmed.
+However, watching my opportunity, I managed to seize and hold him
+firmly; but I had nothing to put him in, and he struggled furiously to
+escape. All I could do was to roll him up in one end of my black lace
+shawl and hurry home with my capture. Alas! for the unlucky shawl--the
+mole soon began rending and tearing it into shreds with his powerful
+feet and teeth. I was rapidly becoming acquainted with the habits of
+moles, and in a way that I should not soon forget; still, that mole must
+be brought home somehow, and I next transferred him to my dress pocket,
+which I held fast, whilst he scrambled and pushed his strong little
+snout in all directions to find some way of escape. He was soon placed
+in a zinc fern case, with glass sides, supplied with earth to burrow in,
+and fed with worms. I also gave him a pan of water, as I remembered
+seeing a plan of a mole's burrow which always includes a place for
+water. It was a really painful sight to watch the creature feeding; he
+pounced upon a worm with the fury of a tiger, and holding it in his
+mouth, tore it to pieces with his sharp claws and rapidly devoured all
+the pieces, and snuffing about to make sure he had quite finished it, he
+then darted off to seek another. The mole has a most voracious appetite
+and dies very quickly if unable to obtain food. I was interested to
+watch the bustling, active life of the little creature; his morning
+toilet when the black velvet coat was attended to, carefully brushed and
+licked by a tiny red tongue (though it never seemed to pick up dirt or
+defilement in its passage through the earth) and finally, after a few
+days, I had the pleasure of setting him free, when he dived into the
+ground out of sight in a moment.
+
+Some years later a live mole was much desired by a young relative who
+was giving Natural History lectures to some school children. It happened
+that a mole had found its way into the conservatory and was doing much
+damage there by making its runs close to the surface and uprooting the
+plants in its course. The gardener and I resolved to catch it; he was
+anxious to prevent further mischief to his plants, and I was wishing to
+help the lecturer by sending a lively specimen to illustrate his
+subject. The exciting part of the business was the necessity of making
+the capture before eleven o'clock, when the carrier would pass by, and,
+taking charge of the animal, would deliver it in time for the lecture
+next day. We watched for the upheaving of the mole's run which came at
+last. The gardener made a quick plunge with his hand into the soft
+earth, but alas! the mole escaped. He kept quiet for ten minutes, then
+another attempt was made, and failed. The carrier's bell sounded and he
+passed by. I still kept watch, and again saw the earth move--the third
+time was successful. I had gone to find a tin box, and on my return I
+was greeted with "Here's the mole, ma'am!" Poor fellow! he was being
+ignominiously held up by the scruff of his neck, and kicking furiously
+at the indignity. He was soon packed up in soft grass, with a plentiful
+supply of worms to feast upon by the way. A special messenger overtook
+the carrier, and a telegram was sent to announce the dispatch of the
+precious animal.
+
+He first reached a London office, where I fear he tended to hinder
+business, as it was needful to transfer him to a cage, and no one seemed
+particularly anxious for the honour of catching him, as his teeth were
+known to be both sharp and numerous, and his disposition not of the
+meekest. However, he was placed in his cage, travelled down into Kent,
+and gave wonderful pleasure when exhibited to the children.
+
+One would naturally suppose that in a country village where boys and
+girls are daily going to and from school, they would all have been
+familiar with this little creature, but when the question was asked if
+they had ever seen a dead mole, only fifteen children out of ninety had
+seen one, and only three had ever seen a live one.
+
+Next day the mole was let loose upon a very hard piece of ground, but
+even there he very quickly burrowed out of sight.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+HARVEST MICE.
+
+
+I had often wished to keep these interesting little animals, but as they
+are only found in some parts of England and are difficult to capture
+from their minute size and delicacy, I had to wait many years before
+they could be obtained. At length, through the kindness of a friend, six
+were sent to me from Norfolk, and for two years they lived in captivity
+and afforded me much pleasure.
+
+They are the smallest English rodents, two of them only weighing a
+halfpenny; they are brown in colour with white underneath, very long
+whiskers and prehensile tails. They were made happy by finding all
+things needful for their comfort in a large plant case. A thick layer of
+cocoa fibre was spread over the bottom of the case, dry moss and hay
+provided, wheat-ears, oats, and canary seed, and a small cup of water. A
+flowerpot in which a number of small branches were fixed afforded
+opportunity for exercise in climbing, and a pleasant resting-place was
+formed by a half-cocoanut filled with cotton-wool and roofed over with
+dry moss, then slung by three wires in a tripod of sticks of
+corky-barked elm, a little hole for entrance being left at one side.
+Into this the mice went the moment they were turned into the case, and
+in it they mostly lived. I fancy its swinging a little as they moved
+inside was congenial to their ideas of comfort. As they live in
+cornfields and make a pendulous nest attached to an ear of corn, I
+supplied them with a pot of growing wheat, in the hope that they would
+incline to make a nest in it; but I could never induce them to rear a
+family. They would sit for hours in the corn-stalks and nibble them
+into a heap of shreds, but no nest ever appeared. Their greatest delight
+was a handful of fresh moss full of little insects on which they would
+feed. The greatest excitement was always shown when the moss
+appeared--little heads would peep out of the cocoa-husk, little noses
+sniffed in all directions, and then, with jerky runs, the tiny folk made
+their way to the attractive spot, and soon each would be seen sitting up
+like a small kangaroo feasting on a beetle or spider held in the tiny
+paws. Sometimes in their great happiness they made a low, sweet chirping
+like a company of wrens conversing cheerily together. When climbing in
+their tree-branches it was interesting to see how the fine wiry tail was
+always coiled round the stem as the creature descended, so as to keep it
+from falling and injuring itself.
+
+Canary seed and brown bread seemed a favourite diet, and if I put a
+trough of growing corn into the case the mice made little burrows
+through it so as to be able to eat the wheat from below. I had heard a
+sad report that my fairy-like pets had a tendency to eat each other as
+spring came round! This I fancied might arise from lack of animal food,
+so once or twice a week I always gave them a small portion of meat and
+this seemed to prevent any tendency to cannibalism.
+
+After keeping them two years several deaths occurred, so I thought the
+remainder should have their liberty, and I had the pleasure of seeing
+them enter one of my corn-stacks where I hope they found all that their
+little hearts could desire, and possibly they would stray to a
+neighbouring bank and found a colony.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+THE CALIFORNIAN MOUSE.
+
+
+A rather strange parcel from California reached me by post some years
+ago. It was marked "Live animals with care," and consisted of a box,
+containing several divisions, each having fine wire-work to admit air.
+In one I found a spiny creature called a Gecko, in another a beautiful
+lizard which had not survived the journey, and in the third a very rare
+species of mouse known as _Perognathus Pencillatus_. It has a soft silky
+coat of silver grey and fawn colour, and a long tail with a little tuft
+at the end, very large black eyes and white paws. It was alive, but weak
+and tired with its journey of ten days and all the jars and shocks it
+must have had by the way. I gave it warm milk and soaked bread, which it
+seemed to enjoy, and some hours later it was supplied with wheat grains,
+the food upon which it lives in its native country.
+
+True to his natural instinct, mousie soon began to fill both his cheek
+pouches with the corn, and tried to hide it away as a supply for the
+future. In a few days the little creature was in perfect health, and he
+has been a great pet now for several years; perfectly tame and gentle,
+he will run about on the table and amuse himself happily wherever he is
+placed.
+
+Being entirely inodorous he is kept in the drawing-room in a mahogany
+cage which was made specially to meet his small requirements. He is a
+busy little creature at night, as he likes daily to make a fresh bed of
+cotton-wool, and fusses about with his mouth full of material until he
+has arranged his little couch.
+
+In his own country, where the cold is very severe in winter, its habit
+is to become perfectly unconscious, exactly as if dead, and in that
+state it can endure the rigour of the climate and wake up when the
+temperature rises. It was once left in a cold room and became in this
+apparently lifeless state. I was not alarmed, as I knew of its
+peculiarity, but it really was difficult to believe it ever could
+revive; there was no trace of warmth, or any apparent beating of the
+heart, and so it lay for some days, but on bringing it into a warm room
+it became as bright and active as ever. It seems a more intense form of
+hibernation than that of our squirrel and dormouse.
+
+The naturalist at San Bernardino, from whom I obtained this mouse, told
+me he had kept one as a pet for many years, and his specimen lived
+entirely without water; as there was sufficient moisture in the wheat
+grains on which it fed to supply its need; but I think it is cruel to
+keep anything without the means of quenching thirst which might arise
+from an artificial mode of life, so my little pet has always a small jar
+of water to which I know it resorts from its requiring to be refilled
+from time to time.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+SANCHO THE TOAD.
+
+
+About four years ago I began to feed a toad that had found its way into
+the conservatory. He sat daily in one place expecting his meal-worms,
+and when he had snapped them up with his curious sticky tongue he would
+retire to some hidden nook and be invisible until the next day. Each
+winter he has hibernated as soon as cold weather began, and reappeared
+with the spring sunshine. Sancho is now a very portly, and most amusing
+pet.
+
+Few people would guess how much character can be shown by even this
+poor, despised reptile when treated with real kindness, regularly fed,
+and never frightened or abused. I will describe what happens when Sancho
+is "shown to the public."
+
+Some meal-worms are thrown on the pavement near him. He sits for a time
+gazing at them with his gold-rimmed eyes; then slowly creeps towards
+them, fixes his eyes on one of the worms bends his head a little towards
+it, then one hears a snap and the prey is taken. The act is so rapid
+that one can never see the tongue that has picked up the
+meal-worm--simply it is gone! The toad's eyes are tightly shut whilst he
+swallows the morsel, and then he turns to pick up a second. Now is the
+time to approach him from behind and begin to stroke his leathery, warty
+skin. In a few seconds he is in a state of perfect ecstasy, his front
+legs are stretched out, he leans first to one side, then to the other,
+to guide the hand where he wishes to be stroked, and at last uplifts his
+ponderous body until he is an inch or more from the ground, supported on
+the tips of his toes. No description can do justice to the absurdity of
+the attitude, and the rapture seems so intense that food is forgotten,
+and so long as Sancho can get any one to stroke him, he is quite
+oblivious to all around him, although at other times he will hop away as
+soon as any stranger approaches.
+
+Sancho will not, as yet, take anything from my hand, but I hope to bring
+him to that state of tameness in course of time.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: ROMAN SNAILS.]
+
+ROMAN SNAILS.
+
+
+"How _can_ you take an interest in snails and slugs?--horrid, slimy,
+crawling things!" More than once have I heard this kind of remark from
+youthful lips when I produced my grand old Roman snails and gave them a
+pleasant time for exercise upon the dewy lawn. Now in my secret mind I
+think a snail is a wonderfully curious creature, neither ugly nor
+"horrid"--it _is_ slimy, but about that I shall have something to say
+later on.
+
+When staying at Box Hill, near Dorking, I often saw the great apple
+snail, _Helix Pomatia_, which is only found on chalk soils, and is
+supposed to have been introduced by the Romans, from the quantities of
+their empty shells found with Roman remains in all parts of England.
+They were kept and fattened in places called "Cochlearia" and made into
+various "dainty dishes" which the Romans thought quite fit to set before
+their kings. It is certain that they are very nutritious creatures, and
+that in times of famine people have supported life and kept themselves
+mysteriously "fat and well-liking" by resorting to snails and slugs as
+articles of diet. Indeed I have heard more than once that the famous
+"Pâte de Guimauve" owes its healing nutritive character to this despised
+univalve, which is said to enter largely into its composition. I brought
+several apple snails home with me from Box Hill and kept them for many
+years, until I really believe the creatures, in a dim sort of way,
+recognized me as their friend, or at any rate their feeder. I cannot
+boast, as I believe an American lady is said to have done, that "her
+tame oysters followed her up and down stairs," but certainly my snails
+would, when placed upon the lawn, very frequently crawl towards me, and
+would do so again and again when removed to a distance. As the weather
+became cold they always hibernated, closing the mouth of the shell with
+a thin, firm covering, or operculum, of chalk, which, mixed with their
+slime, made a substance like plaster of Paris. Thus enclosed they would
+lie as if dead until the warmth of the following spring made them push
+the door open and come out, with excellent appetites, ready to eat
+voraciously to make up for their long fast. These Roman snails were
+quite five inches long when fully extended, and therefore were much
+larger than our English species; the body was cream colour and the shell
+a pale tint of buff varying somewhat in different specimens.
+
+These creatures were kept in a fern case with glass top and sides, and
+it was singular to observe the way in which they could suspend
+themselves (as shown in the drawing) from the top of the box.
+
+The substance which exists in the caterpillar of the silkworm moth, and
+which can be drawn out into fine shreds of silk, is very similar to the
+slime of the snail, only in the latter it is not filiform, but exudes as
+a liquid and then hardens into a thin layer of silk which is strong
+enough to support the weight of two of these snails, for, seeing them
+one day thus suspended, I put them in the scales and ascertained that
+the weight of the two amounted to 2-1/2 ounces.
+
+This mucus forms the glistening, shiny track which the snail leaves
+behind it, enabling it to glide easily and painlessly over rough
+substances which would otherwise lacerate its soft body.
+
+One hardly expected to find social feeling and affection in animals so
+low down in the scale of nature, but I do not know what else could have
+led my "Romans" to caress each other with their long horns by the hour
+together and always keep close to one another, twisting and curling
+their yielding bodies round each other in the most odd contortions. Our
+English snails hibernate in whole colonies for the winter, which also
+points to their affectionate and gregarious habits.
+
+In lifting up some moss I once came upon some yellow, half-transparent
+eggs about as large as pearl barley, and wishing to know what they would
+prove to be I kept them in damp moss under a tumbler for about a
+fortnight, when, to my dismay, I found a grand colony of yellow slugs!
+and not a little was I teased about these interesting young people. I am
+afraid I must own they were given as a _bonne bouche_ to my Virginian
+nightingale, who seemed highly to approve of this addition to his daily
+fare. Snails' eggs are nearly white and semi-transparent; the empty
+shells of young snails are very lovely when placed in a good microscope:
+the polariscope bringing out their exquisite prismatic tints.
+
+The gardener one day brought in a testacella, or shelled slug. It fed
+upon earth-worms and was quite unlike the ordinary black or grey slug,
+of which we have, alas! countless thousands preying upon all the green
+things of the earth. This shelled slug was yellow, and seemed able to
+elongate its body very differently to any other species. The shell was
+quite small, a simple dome-shaped plate upon the anterior part of the
+body. I kept it for some weeks on damp moss under a tumbler, but it was
+often able to escape by flattening itself to a mere thread and then
+crawling under the rim of the tumbler, and at last I gave it liberty as
+a reward for its persevering efforts to obtain its freedom.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+AN EARWIG MOTHER.
+
+
+I had often read of the earwig as an incubating insect, and much wished
+to see for myself how she carried out her motherly instincts. One bright
+May morning found me busily turning over stones, clinkers, and old
+tree-roots in a fernery, which, having been long undisturbed, seemed a
+likely spot for the nest I wished to find. There seemed no scarcity of
+worms, wood-lice, centipedes, or beetles, but no earwigs could I see;
+and I was just about to give up the search when, lifting a piece of
+stone, I saw a small cavity, about as large as would contain a pea, and
+in it lay about twenty-six round, white eggs, hard-shelled and shining,
+of the size of a small pin's head. An earwig had placed herself over the
+eggs, and I was delighted to think at last I had lighted upon the insect
+mother I had been searching for. But what was to be done with her? How
+could I watch the process of incubation? The difficulty was solved by
+lifting the nest and its mother with a trowel and placing it in a saucer
+under a tumbler, without any displacement of the eggs; thus the mother's
+care could be conveniently watched. The earwig first carefully examined
+her new home, touching each morsel of earth and stone with her antennæ;
+and, having ascertained the exact condition of things, she set to work
+to make a fresh nest, labouring with great industry until it was formed
+to her mind. She then took up the eggs, one by one, with her mandibles,
+and placed them in the new nest, arranging and rearranging them, until
+at last she seemed content, and remained either upon or near them for
+the rest of the day, quite motionless.
+
+Every night, and sometimes two or three times in the day, she would
+form fresh places in the earth, and replace the eggs. To prevent the
+soil becoming too dry, I used to sprinkle a little water upon it--a drop
+here and there--and if by accident the water fell too near the eggs, the
+earwig became much excited, hurrying to and fro with her eggs, until
+they were all removed to a drier spot. On the other hand, if I omitted
+the water until the earth became dry, she would choose the dampest spot
+that remained in which to form her nest, and seemed to welcome the
+water-drops, drinking herself from them, and feeling the damp earth with
+her antennæ. She remained thus for three weeks, feeding on little pieces
+of beef or mutton, or an occasional fly; I did not then know that
+earwigs are mostly vegetable feeders, but it is clear they can eat other
+food when needful. The first time I dropped a newly-killed house-fly
+near her she looked at it intently, felt it with her antennæ, and then
+suddenly wheeled round and pinched it with her forceps, and being
+apparently satisfied that it could do no harm to her eggs, she began to
+devour it, and after an hour or two but little remained except the
+wings.
+
+As it was early in the year, but few insects could be seen, but by
+searching in the conservatory I found a large green aphis, which I gave
+to the earwig. To my surprise, instead of devouring it at once, she
+applied herself to one of the projecting tubes of the aphis, and
+evidently sucked its sweet secretion, and enjoyed it as much and in the
+same way as ants are said to do. She feasted thus for four or five
+minutes, but I am sorry to add that, unlike the humane ants, who care
+tenderly for their aphides and preserve their lives by kind treatment,
+the earwig ended by munching up the unfortunate aphis, till not a trace
+of it was left.
+
+At the end of three weeks I found one morning all the eggs were hatched,
+and tiny, snow-white earwigs, with forceps and antennæ fully developed,
+were creeping about and around their mother. I placed a slice of pear in
+the saucer, upon which the little ones swarmed, and seemed to find it
+congenial food. In a few days they increased to nearly double their size
+when first hatched, and turned a light brown colour. Having ascertained
+all I wished to know about the maternal instincts of the earwig, I
+released the mother and her family, and no doubt she was happy enough to
+return to her old haunt in the fernery, and would greatly prefer
+tree-roots and stones to my tumbler-and-saucer arrangement.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: EGYPTIAN BEETLES.]
+
+THE SACRED BEETLE.
+
+
+On reading books on Egypt and the voyage up the Nile, one is sure to
+find some mention of the curious beetle which is found along the banks
+of the river, especially in Nubia, where the shore is traceried with the
+footprints of the busy little creature. Miss Edwards, in her very
+interesting book, "A Thousand Miles up the Nile," thus speaks of it:
+"Every one knows how this scarab was adopted by the Egyptians as an
+emblem of creative power and the immortality of the soul; it is to be
+seen in the wall-sculptures, on the tombs, cut out in precious stones
+and worn as an ornament, buried in the mummy-cases, and a figure of the
+beetle forms a hieroglyph, and represents a word signifying 'To be and
+to transform.' If actual worship was not paid to _Scaraboeus Sacer_,[1]
+it was, at any rate, regarded with the greatest reverence and a vast
+amount of symbolism drawn from its various characteristics."
+
+[Footnote 1: Or _Ateuchus Sacer_.]
+
+I had often wished to see this insect alive, and one day my wish was
+very unexpectedly gratified by the arrival of a small tin box in which I
+found a specimen of the sacred beetle swathed in wet linen like a
+veritable mummy, only, instead of being an Egyptian specimen, this had
+come from a kind friend at the Riviera, who knew that the same species
+existed there, and had sent me this one by post. The scarab was at once
+named "Cheops," and treated with all the respect due to his ancient
+family traditions.
+
+His wants were easily supplied: a deep tin box, with earth and moss
+slightly damped, gave him space for exercise; and then for food--alas!
+that his tastes should be so degraded--he had to be supplied with
+cow-dung! This could be done in secret, and judiciously hidden by fair,
+green moss; but when exhibiting my cherished pet to admiring friends
+the first question was sure to be, "What does he feed upon?" and one had
+to take refuge in vague generalities about organic substances, &c.,
+which might mean anything, and then, by diverting attention to some
+point of interest apart from the food question, the difficulty was
+generally overcome.
+
+I kept a close watch to see if the beetle would be led by instinct to
+form its round pellets of mud as is its custom on the banks of the Nile,
+and having placed its egg in the centre, it begins to roll it from the
+margin of the river until it is above high-water mark. There it digs a
+hole and buries the pellet, leaving the sun to hatch the eggs in due
+time. Travellers who have watched the process describe the untiring way
+in which both the male and female beetle roll these pellets, often
+falling down with their burden into holes and ridges in the rough
+ground; but then their comrades will give them help, and, picking up the
+ball, they patiently labour on. Walking backwards, having the pellet
+between their broad hind legs, they push it up and up until it is
+placed in safety. The persevering energy of this insect led the
+Egyptians to adopt it as an emblem of the labours of their great deity,
+Osiris, or the sun; they also traced a resemblance in the spiny
+projections on its head to the rays of the sun.
+
+Great was my delight to find at length that Cheops--even in
+captivity--was true to his native instincts, that he had formed a pellet
+about the size of a marble and was gravely rolling it with his hind legs
+backwards and forwards in his box. Poor captive! he was evidently
+puzzled what to do with the precious thing. He had no Nile bank to
+surmount, and the sun was hardly warm enough to encourage any hope for
+his future family; but he did the only thing that was possible--he set
+to work to scoop out a hole of sufficient size, then rolled the pellet
+in and covered it over with loose earth. Three such pellets were made at
+intervals of a few days; one of them I unearthed and kept as a curio.
+The beetle never seemed to miss it, and having done his duty under
+difficult circumstances, his mind seemed to be at rest.
+
+I often placed Cheops in my hand to show him to visitors, and there he
+would lie feigning to be dead until he was gently stroked over the
+elytra, when he would stretch out his antennæ, then his legs by slow
+degrees appeared (for he tucked them close to his body out of sight when
+frightened), and at last he would begin to walk in a jerky manner, as if
+moved by machinery, often stopping to look and listen to be sure that it
+was safe to move, and even if busily at work in the earth, if he saw any
+one coming near he would stop, draw in his antennæ and limbs and remain
+motionless.
+
+He had a strong and peculiar odour at times, which became more apparent
+if he was annoyed. He was infested with a small mite, and though these
+were frequently cleared away with water and a camel's-hair brush, they
+always reappeared in a day or two, clustering under the thorax between
+the first pair of legs, and at times they might be seen racing over his
+body with great rapidity. Once Cheops nearly escaped, for I had placed
+his box in the sun, and the warmth so excited and waked him up that he
+opened his wing-cases, used his gauze-like inner wings, and with a
+mighty hum was all but gone in search of his native land, but
+fortunately I was near enough to intercept his flight and place him in
+safe quarters. After keeping this curious creature in perfect health for
+sixteen months, I was much vexed to find him one morning lying in a
+shallow pan of water in his box, quite dead. He had overbalanced on to
+his back, and, being unable to turn over, had been drowned, though the
+water was scarcely half an inch deep. Poor Cheops is enshrined in a
+pyramid-shaped box, in which he is often shown and his life-history told
+to interested visitors.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS.]
+
+SPIDERS.
+
+
+Of all the varieties of "creeping things" spiders seem to be the most
+universally disliked. I knew well the kind of expression I should see on
+the faces of my friends when I produced the box which contained my pet
+Tegenaria, a large black spider, long-legged and very swift, a
+well-known kind of house-spider.
+
+Happily the box had a glass lid, so the inmate could be seen in comfort;
+and when the spider's history was told there was always an interest
+created in even this poor despised creature.
+
+When first placed in its new home the Tegenaria began spinning tunnels
+of white silky web in various directions across the box. They were
+almost as close in texture as fine gauze, and had openings here and
+there, so that they formed a kind of labyrinth.
+
+The spider always lived in one corner, curled up, watching for prey, and
+when a blue-bottle was put in, and began buzzing, she then rushed up one
+tunnel and down another until she could pounce upon her prey.
+
+The fly was quickly killed by her poison fangs, and then carried to the
+corner to be consumed at leisure. Unlike the habit of the garden or
+diadem spider, no cobweb was rolled round the victim; only the wings
+were cut off and the body carried away. After some months I noticed the
+corner seemed filled up with web and fragments of insects, and when I
+examined it more closely there appeared a large round ball of eggs, over
+which the spider had spun some web, and then had collected all the legs
+and wings of her prey and stuck them carelessly here and there in the
+web so as to conceal her nest, and make it look like the remains of an
+old cobweb. Over this nest she kept careful watch. One could not drive
+her from it; she only left it for a moment to spring upon a fly, and
+would return with her food immediately and resume her watchful life in
+the corner. At length the young spiders were hatched in countless
+numbers; they crept about the tunnels, and though so minute as to be
+mere specks, they were perfect in form, active in seeking for prey, and
+appeared perfectly able to take care of themselves and begin life on
+their own account.
+
+I had kept the Tegenaria more than a year in confinement, and having
+shown such admirable motherly instincts, I thought she had earned the
+reward of liberty. No doubt she welcomed "the order of release"! At any
+rate, she scampered away under some tree-roots, and possibly resides
+there with her numerous family to this day.
+
+Spiders hunt their prey in a variety of ways--some by spinning their
+beautiful web, with which we are all familiar; others, as the Zebra
+spiders, catch flies by leaping suddenly upon them, and these may often
+be seen on window-sills watching some coveted insect, drawing slowly
+nearer to the victim, till, by a well-directed spring, it can be
+secured. There are nearly three hundred species of spiders in this
+country, and nearly all spin and weave their silken threads in some way,
+but each in different fashions, according to their mode of life. The
+female spider is the spinner, and her supply is about 150 yards. When
+she has used that amount a few days' rest will enable her to secrete a
+similar quantity.
+
+With great pains the spider's silk has been obtained and woven into a
+delicate kind of material; but as each spider only yields one grain of
+silk, and 450 were required to produce one yard, the process was found
+to be impracticable. The insect possesses silk of two colours,
+silver-grey and yellow; one is used for the foundation-lines of the web,
+and the other for the interlacing threads. The silk is drawn by the
+spider from its four spinnerets, and issues from them in a soft, viscid
+state, but it hardens by exposure to the air. If a web is examined with
+a magnifying-glass, it will be seen that its threads are closely
+studded with minute globules of gum, which is so sticky that flies
+caught in the web are held in this kind of birdlime until the spider is
+able to spring upon them.
+
+Astronomers and microscopists make use of the strongest lines of the
+spider's web to form some of their delicate instruments. The thread is
+drawn in parallel lines at right angles across the field of the
+eye-piece at equal distances, so as to make a multitude of fine
+divisions, scarcely visible to the naked eye, and so thin as to be no
+obstacle to the view of the object. One means of classifying spiders is
+by the number of eyes they possess. These are usually two, six, or eight
+in number. The fangs with which the spider seizes its prey are hollow,
+and emit a venomous fluid into the body of the victim, which speedily
+benumbs and kills it. In Palestine and other countries a kind of spider
+is found which is entirely nocturnal in its habits, and never either
+hunts or feeds in daylight, but makes itself a little home, where it
+abides safely till sunset. It is called the trap-door spider, from the
+curious way in which it protects the entrance to its nest. It bores a
+hole in the dry earth of a bank a foot or more in depth, lines the hole
+with silk, and forms a lid, or trap-door, which secures the spider from
+all intruders. I have one of these nests in which the door is a
+wonderful piece of mechanism, quite round and flat, about as large as a
+threepenny piece, made of layers of fine earth moistened and worked
+together with silk, so that it is tough and elastic and cannot crumble.
+The hinge is made of very tough silk, and is so springy that when opened
+it closes directly with a snap. The outside is disguised with bits of
+moss, glued on so that no one can see where the door is. The only way of
+opening it is with a pin, and even then the spider will hold on inside
+with his claws, so that it is not easy to overcome his resistance.
+Amongst some insects sent to me from Los Angelos is a huge "Mygale," a
+hairy monster of very uninviting aspect. When its legs are outspread it
+measures nearly six inches across, and one can well believe the stories
+one hears of its killing small birds if it finds them on their nests. A
+gentleman living in Bermuda is said to have tamed a spider of the
+species "Mygale," and made it live upon his bed-curtain and rid him of
+the flies and mosquitoes which disturbed his nightly rest. He thus
+describes this remarkable pet: "I fed him with flies for a few days,
+until he began to find himself in very comfortable quarters, and thought
+of spinning a nest and making his home. This he did by winding himself
+round and round, combing out the silk from the spinnerets at the end of
+his body till he had made a nest as large as a wine-glass, in which he
+sat motionless until he saw a fly get inside our gauzy tent; then I
+could fancy I saw his eyes twinkle as his victim buzzed about, till,
+when it was within a yard or so of him, he took one spring and the fly
+was in his forceps, and another leap took him back to his den, where he
+soon finished the savoury morsel. Sometimes he would bound from side to
+side of the bed and seize a mosquito at every spring, resting only a
+moment on the net to swallow it. In another corner of the room was the
+nest of a female Mygale of the same species. She spun some beautiful
+little silk bags, larger than a thimble, of tough yellow silk, in each
+of which she laid more than a dozen eggs. When these hatched the young
+spiders used to live on her back until they were old enough to hunt for
+themselves. I kept my useful friend on my bed for more than a year and a
+half, when, unfortunately, a new housemaid spied his pretty brown house,
+pulled it down, and crushed under her black feet my poor companion."
+This kind of spider, or an allied species, captures large butterflies in
+the tropical woods by hanging strong silken noozes from branches of
+trees, and they have been seen to kill small birds by this method. One
+of our British spiders lives under water in a dome-like cell of silk,
+which is filled with air like a diving-bell by the spider carrying down
+successive globules of air between its legs, which it liberates under
+the dome until it is filled; and the young are hatched there.
+
+The spider, on its way through the water, never gets wet. It is hairy,
+and is enveloped in a bubble of air, in which it moves about protected
+from wet and well supplied with air to breathe. As the spider's supply
+of food is always precarious, they are able to live a long time without
+eating. One is known to have lived eighteen months corked up in a
+phial, where it could obtain no food; but though thus able to fast, the
+spider is a voracious feeder, and will eat his own kith and kin when
+hard pressed by hunger.
+
+I believe it is now thought that the spider of the Scriptures was a kind
+of spiny lizard called the Gecko. One of this species was sent to me
+from California, and lived for a few weeks, but as nothing would induce
+it to eat, to my great regret it pined and died. It was about as large
+as an ordinary full-grown toad, of a speckled grey colour, with rich
+brown markings, its head something like a lizard, with large thorny
+projections which extended all along the spine. The feet were very
+remarkable, each toe being furnished with a sucker which enabled the
+Gecko to walk with perfect ease in any position on a wall or pane of
+glass without losing its hold; and travellers say that it is a frequent
+inmate of Eastern houses, and may be seen catching flies as it creeps
+along walls and ceilings.
+
+Many kinds of spiders run with ease upon the surface of ponds and
+ditches, and one forms a kind of raft of a few dead leaves woven
+together, on which it sits and is blown by the wind hither and thither,
+and thus is enabled to prey upon various aquatic insects.
+
+The surface of grass lawns may be seen on autumnal mornings covered with
+tiny webs gemmed with dew. We may therefore estimate the immense number
+of flies captured by these traps so thickly spread over the grass, and
+see in them another proof of the adaptation of each created thing for
+its special purpose, and how wonderfully the balance of nature is
+maintained, so that one creature keeps another in check, and all work
+harmoniously together, according to the will of our great Creator.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+TAME BUTTERFLIES.
+
+
+In _The Century_, for June, 1883, Mr. Gosse described a monument, in
+which the sculptor had carved a child holding out her hand for
+butterflies to perch on. He went on to say that this was criticised as
+improbable, even by so exact an observer as the late Lord Tennyson. It
+may therefore be of some interest to record the following facts from my
+personal experience.
+
+One summer I watched the larvæ of the swallow-tailed butterfly through
+their different stages, and reserved two chrysalides to develop into
+the perfect insect. In due time one of these fairy-like creatures came
+out. I placed it in a small Indian cage, made of fine threads of bamboo.
+A carpet of soft moss and a vase of flowers in the centre made a
+pleasant home for my tiny "Psyche."
+
+I found that she greatly enjoyed a repast of honey; when some was placed
+on a leaf within her reach, she would uncoil her long proboscis and draw
+up the sweet food with great apparent enjoyment.
+
+She was so tame that it became my habit, once or twice a day, to take
+her on my finger; and while I walked in the garden she would take short
+flights hither and thither, but was always content to mount upon my hand
+again. She would come on my finger of her own accord, and, if the day
+was bright, would remain there as long as I had patience to carry her,
+with her wings outspread, basking in the sunbeams, which appeared to
+convey exquisite delight to the delicate little creature.
+
+I never touched her beautiful wings. She never fluttered or showed any
+wish to escape, but lived three weeks of tranquil life in her tiny
+home; and then having, as I suppose, reached the limit of butterfly
+existence, she quietly ceased to live.
+
+On the day of her death the other butterfly emerged, and lived for the
+same length of time. Both were equally tame, but the second showed more
+intelligence, for she discovered that by folding her wings together she
+could easily walk between the slender bars of the cage; and having done
+so she would fly to a window, and remain there basking in the sun,
+folding and unfolding her wings with evident enjoyment, until I
+presented my finger, when she would immediately step upon it and be
+carried back to her cage.
+
+The tameness of these butterflies I ascribed in great measure to the
+fact of their having been hatched from chrysalides, and having therefore
+never known the sweets of liberty. I often wondered if really wild
+specimens could be won by gentle kindness and made happy in confinement,
+and one bright summer's day I resolved to try. A "Painted Lady" had been
+seen in the garden the day before, and I soon caught sight of her making
+rapid flights from one bed of flowers to another, and when resting for
+a few minutes, folding and unfolding her wings on the gravel path, I
+crept slowly up to her with a drop of honey on my finger to try and make
+friends; but my "lady" was coy, "she would and she wouldn't," and after
+letting me come within a few inches with my tempting repast, she floated
+away, out of sight, and I feared she would not be willing to give me
+another chance; however, I waited quietly, and in a few minutes she
+alighted at a little distance. I again drew near very slowly, and again
+she sailed away, but the third time she gained confidence enough to
+reach out her proboscis and taste the honey, and finally crept upon my
+finger. I very gently placed the light bamboo cage over her and brought
+her indoors; she, all the while, entranced with the sweet food, remained
+quietly on my finger, and when satisfied, crept upon a flower in the
+middle of the cage, and after a few flutterings round her cage seemed
+content and folded her delicate wings to rest. Whilst engaged in her
+capture I had observed a "Red Admiral" hovering over some dahlias, and
+thinking "Cynthia"[2] might like a companion, I tried my blandishments
+upon him. I had not much hope of success, for though a bold, fearless
+fellow, he is very wary, and his powerful wings bear him away in swift
+flight when alarmed. Many a circle did I make around that dahlia bed!
+"Admiral" always preferred the opposite side to where I stood, and
+calmly crossed over whilst I went round. At last, by long and patient
+waiting, he, too, allowed me to come near and present my seductive food
+to his notice--the wiry proboscis was uncoiled and felt about for the
+honey; once plunged into that, all volition seemed to cease, he allowed
+me to coax him upon my finger, and he, too, was safely caged; but he
+behaved very differently from "fair Cynthia." The moment his repast was
+ended he flapped with desperate force against the bars, and in a minute
+he was out and on the window-pane, fluttering to escape. The cage had to
+be secured with fine net, and he was replaced and soon quieted down.
+Twice a day these delicate little pets would come upon my hand to
+receive their sweet food, and appeared perfectly content in captivity.
+
+[Footnote 2: The former Latin name for the "Painted Lady" butterfly]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+ANT-LIONS.
+
+(MYRMELEON FORMICARIUS.)
+
+
+Many years ago a friend sent me some of these remarkable insects from
+the Riviera, and for sixteen months I fed them as regularly as possible,
+but the cold of a remarkably severe winter killed them, to my great
+disappointment, as I had hoped to be rewarded by a sight of the perfect
+insect.
+
+Ant-lions are not, I believe, found in any part of England, so I had to
+wait till I could again procure some from the south of France, where
+they are frequently met with in dry, sandy places.
+
+Early in March this year (1890) three specimens were sent me and were at
+once placed in a box of dry silver sand, where they buried themselves
+and remained quietly resting for some hours.
+
+Many of my readers may be interested to know what the ant-lion is like,
+and why I thought it worth while to take great pains to rear it. These
+young specimens were flat, grey, six-legged creatures about the size of
+a small lady-bird, covered with hairs, and possessing two strong forceps
+projecting from their heads. They are so formed that they cannot go
+forward, but move always backward by a series of jerks. As they live
+upon ants and are so strangely formed, they have to resort to stratagem
+in order to entrap their prey, and this they do by means of pits formed
+in the sand in which they live; into these pits the ants fall, and are
+seized by the forceps of the ant-lion, who lies in wait at the bottom.
+
+Many a time have I watched the formation of these pits, and will try to
+describe the process. The insect begins describing a small circle on
+the surface of the sand by jerking himself backwards and flinging the
+sand away with his flat head and closed forceps, which form a kind of
+shovel. Each circle is smaller than the last, until the pit is like an
+inverted cone, and the ant-lion lies buried at the bottom, only his
+forceps being visible. When an ant has fallen headlong down into the pit
+it makes frantic efforts to escape, and if the ant-lion sees that it is
+likely to get beyond his reach, he then with his forceps flings some
+sand at it with such unerring aim the poor victim is sure to roll over
+and over until it reaches the jaws of its captor, who feasts upon it and
+then flings the remains of the body out of the pit.
+
+One difficulty was how to ensure a supply of ants, but this was overcome
+by filling a box with part of an ants' nest, and as these insects
+settled down and seemed content with their quarters, they were ready
+when wanted, and three times a day the lions had to be fed! One learns
+to sacrifice one's feelings in the cause of science, but to the last it
+was a real distress to me to have to put the poor little ants where they
+would be devoured; but Nature is cruel, and from the real lion to his
+insect namesake, preying upon one another seems the prevailing law of
+her realm.
+
+As the ant-lions grew, the pits increased in size. At first they were
+about as large as a threepenny-piece, but ended by measuring more than
+two inches across.
+
+I could not tell whether the insect moulted its skin, as it was always
+hidden, but in July, after four months' feeding, the ant-lions changed
+into chrysalides, which looked like perfectly round balls of sand.
+
+The box was placed in a warm greenhouse, and in seven weeks' time the
+perfect insects appeared. They were like small dragon-flies, with
+slender bodies, four black-spotted gauzy wings, two large black eyes and
+short antennæ.
+
+I had read about their being nocturnal insects, feeding on flies, so
+they had that diet provided for them in the glass globe in which they
+were kept, but I could never feel sure that they ate the flies, and
+fearing they would be starved I tried giving them a little sweet food, a
+drop of raspberry syrup at the end of a twig; it seemed to be the right
+thing, for they greedily sucked it in, but in spite of all my care they
+only lived four weeks; which, however, is probably the term of their
+existence.
+
+Whilst I was writing this paper a singular incident occurred. I heard a
+strange, wild note, and something brilliant dashed past me to the end of
+the room, and there, on a white marble bust sat a lovely kingfisher--a
+bird I had hardly ever seen, even at a distance, and here he had come to
+pay me a visit in my drawing-room. Would that I could have told him how
+welcome he was! but, alas! he darted about the room in wild alarm, flew
+against the looking-glasses, and though I tried to guard him from a
+plate-glass window, that has often proved fatal to birds, I was too
+late; he came with a crash against it and fell down quite dead, his neck
+being broken by the force of the blow.
+
+I had heard that a kingfisher had been seen at my lake, and hoped that
+the bird might build and become established there; it was, therefore, a
+keen regret to me that this bright visitant had met with such an
+untimely fate.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: THE ROBIN.]
+
+ROBINS I HAVE KNOWN.
+
+
+If I once begin to speak about these winning, confiding little birds, I
+shall hardly know when to stop. There can scarcely be a more delightful
+pet than a wild robin which has learnt to love you, and will come
+indoors and be your quiet companion for hours together. One can feel
+happy in the thought that he has his liberty and his natural food out of
+doors, and that he gives you his companionship freely because he likes
+to be with you, and shows that he does, by singing his sweet songs
+perched on the looking-glass or some vase of flowers.
+
+Autumn is the best time to begin taming such a little friend. When one
+of those brown-coated young birds in his first year's plumage (before
+the red feathers show) takes to haunting the window-ledge, or looks up
+inquiringly from the gravel path outside, then is the time to throw out
+a mealworm, four or five times a day, when the bird appears. He will
+soon associate you with his pleasant diet, and come nearer, and grow
+daily less fearful, until, by putting mealworms on a mat just inside the
+room, he will come in and take them, and at last learn to be quite
+content to remain. The first few times the window should be left open to
+let him retreat, for unless he feels he can come and go at will he will
+probably make a dash at a closed window, not seeing the glass, and be
+fatally injured, or else too frightened to return.
+
+Like all other taming, it must be carried on with patience.
+
+One summer, many years ago, we occupied an old-fashioned house in the
+country, where, in perfect quietude, one could make acquaintance with
+birds and study their habits and manners without interruption. From the
+veranda of a large, low-ceilinged sitting-room one looked out upon a
+garden of the olden type, full of moss-grown apple-trees, golden
+daffodils, lupines and sweet herbs, that pleasant mixture of the kitchen
+and flower garden which always seems so enjoyable. It was an ideal home
+for birds, no cat was ever visible, and from the numbers of the
+feathered folk one could believe that countless generations had been
+reared in these apple-trees and lived out their little lives in perfect
+happiness. I soon found a friend amongst the robins; one in particular
+began to pay me frequent visits as I sat at work indoors. At first he
+ventured in rather timidly, took a furtive glance and then flew away,
+but finding that crumbs were scattered for him, and while he picked them
+up a kindly voice encouraged his advances, he soon became at ease, made
+his way into the room and seemed to examine by turns, with birdish
+curiosity, all the pieces of furniture and the various ornaments on the
+mantelpiece and tables. Much to my pleasure he began to sing to me, and
+very pretty he looked, sitting amongst the flowers in a tall vase,
+warbling his charming little ditty, keeping his large black eyes fixed
+upon me as if to see if I seemed impressed by his vocal efforts.
+
+Once he stopped in the middle of his song, looked keenly at a corner of
+the ceiling, and after a swift flight there, he returned with a spider
+in his beak; one can well believe what good helpers the insect-eating
+birds must be to the gardener, by destroying countless hosts of minute
+caterpillars and grubs that would otherwise prey upon the garden
+produce. Bobbie continued his visits to me throughout the summer,
+remaining happy and content for hours at a time, pluming himself,
+singing, and at times investigating the contents of a little cupboard,
+where he sometimes discovered a cake which was much to his taste, on
+which he feasted without any leave asked, though truly it would have
+been readily given to such a pleasant little visitor. He soon showed
+such entire confidence in me that he would perch on the book I was
+reading, and alight on my lap for crumbs even when many people were in
+the room.
+
+When we had to leave this country home I wished that dear Bobbie could
+have been packed up to go elsewhere with our other possessions, but
+since this could not be, let us hope he still inhabits the old garden
+and cheers other home-dwellers with his confiding manners and morning
+and evening songs of praise.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+ROBERT THE SECOND.
+
+
+After slight intimacies with various robins who were visitors to the
+conservatory and found their way in and out at the open windows, I was
+led to special friendship with a brown-coated young bird I used often to
+see close to the open French window where I was sitting. He was coaxed
+into the room by mealworms being thrown to him until he made himself
+quite at home indoors. By the time he had attained his red breast the
+weather had become too cold for open windows, but Bobbie would sit on
+the ledge and wait till I let him in, and then he would be my happy
+little companion for the whole morning, flitting all about the room,
+along the corridor, into the hall--in fact, he was to be found all over
+the house; but when hungry he returned to me as his best friend, because
+I was the provider of his delightsome mealworms. It was always amusing
+to visitors to see me feed my small fowl! He would be on the alert to
+see where his prey was to be found, and he would hunt for it
+perseveringly if it happened to fall out of sight. He was often to be
+seen perched on the Californian mouse's cage, and I wondered what could
+be the attraction; at last I discovered that he coveted mousie's brown
+biscuits, and after that he was allowed one for his own use, kept in a
+special corner, where a cup of water was also provided for his small
+requirements.
+
+However tame wild birds may seem there will be times when all at once a
+sort of intense longing to get out seems to possess them. When this was
+the case Bobbie would fly backwards and forwards uttering his plaintive
+cry (one of the six kinds of notes by which robins express their
+feelings), and his distress was so evident that the window was always
+opened at once to let him go out.
+
+I am sorry to have to confess that robins are most vindictive towards
+each other! Bobbie maintained a very angry warfare with a hated rival
+out-of-doors, in fact his chief occupation in life seemed to be watching
+for his enemy. He might often be seen sitting under a small palm in a
+pot on the window-ledge, and whilst looking the picture of gentle
+innocence he was, I fear, cherishing envy, hatred, and malice in his
+naughty little heart, for, all at once, there would be a grand
+fluttering and pecking at the window whilst the two little furies, one
+inside and the other out, expended their strength in harmless warfare
+which only ceased when they were too exhausted to do more, and then
+followed on both sides a triumphant song of defiance or victory.
+
+I must now weave into this biography the life-history of a poor robin
+which, I suppose, must have been caught in a trap, for it had lost the
+lower mandible of its beak, and had only a little knob remaining of the
+upper mandible. It haunted the windows, and looked so hungry and
+miserable from its inability to pick up its food, that I thought it
+kindest to coax it into a cage where it could be fed with suitable food.
+By placing mealworms in a cage I at last induced it to hop in, and for
+five months it had a very happy life indoors, feeding on soaked brown
+bread and all the insect diet I could secure for it. When the cage was
+cleaned each morning Bobbie was let out, and would take a bath in a
+glass dish, and then fly to the top of the looking-glass, where he would
+often remain all day unless we were quick enough to secure his cage-door
+when he went in to feed. By the middle of May I thought caterpillars
+would be plentiful enough for him to find his own living, so one day he
+was released, but unhappily Robert the Second was close by, and the
+moment he saw the invalid in his cage on the lawn with the door open, he
+rushed in and savagely fought the poor defenceless bird. Before we could
+interfere he drove our pet out of his cage, and terrible was the battle
+that went on; the beakless bird was driven far away, and I was quite
+unhappy about his fate, for he was now beyond my loving care, and I
+never expected to see him again. Two months passed by, and I only once
+caught a glimpse of the invalid, but at last he came just as before to
+the window, looking thin and ill, with ruffled feathers, and evidently
+again at starvation point. Once more he entered his cage and began his
+old life, only now he was hung under the veranda so as to enjoy fresh
+air and the songs of his companions. For two months I endeavoured to
+keep the dear little creature happy; we were all so fond of him, and it
+seems very touching to think that in his times of extremity he should
+have come willingly into captivity and felt sure that a kind welcome
+would be accorded him. But no amount of care could bring him through the
+moulting season, the lack of a beak to plume his feathers and his great
+difficulty in picking up even the mealworms made him weak and sickly. He
+got out of his cage one day into the garden, and a few days after we
+found his poor little body lying dead close to the window where he had
+always found the help he needed, and yet we could not but be glad that
+his sorrowful little life was ended.
+
+When robins have been thus tamed for years the families they rear are
+like pet birds; they are fed by their parents close to the windows, and
+then come indoors, as if they knew they would be welcome everywhere.
+
+There is one feature in the robin's character that, as far as I know, is
+shared by no other bird; I mean his adopting a certain spot as his
+district and always keeping to it, just as the stickle-backs portion out
+a pond and jealously defend the territory they have chosen. Here, there
+is a special robin to be found at each of the lodges; one haunts the
+Mission Hall and will often sing vigorously from the reading-stand while
+classes are going on. A very tame one lives in the coachman's house,
+running about the floor like a little brown mouse, and sitting inside
+the fender on cold days to warm himself. He must have met with trouble
+in his early youth, for when first seen he was very lame, and had lost
+the sight of one eye. Through kind care he has become well and strong,
+but he is much at the mercy of his enemies, who often attack him on his
+blind side. The conservatory, dining-room, and drawing-rooms have each
+their little redbreast visitor; the latter is so tame he will take
+meal-worms from my hand, and sits on my inkstand singing a sweet, low
+song whilst I write. As long as each bird keeps to his domain there is
+peace, but woe to any intruder! The conflicts are desperate, and I have
+often to mediate, and separate two little furies rolling over and over
+on the ground. I suppose it is in this way that the idea has arisen
+about the young robins killing the old ones; I cannot ascertain that it
+has any foundation--in fact, every robin fights his neighbour all the
+year through, except when paired and busy with domestic duties. As dead
+redbreasts are not found specially in autumn, I do not think there can
+be any truth in the superstition.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+FEEDING BIRDS IN SUMMER AND WINTER.
+
+
+On wintry mornings, when leaf and twig are decked with hoar-frost and
+the ground is hard and dry, affording no food for the birds, it is a
+piteous sight to see them cowering under the evergreens with ruffled
+feathers, evidently starving and miserable, quietly waiting for the
+death that must overtake many of them unless we come to their rescue.
+
+It is one of my delights to feed the small "feathered fowls" through all
+the winter months, and I only wish all my readers could enjoy with me
+the lovely scenes of happy bird life to be witnessed through the French
+window opposite my writing-table. These gatherings of birds are the
+result of many years of persistent kindness and thought for the welfare
+of my bird pets. Their tameness cannot be attained all at once; it takes
+time to establish confidence; it needs thought about the kinds of food
+required by various species of birds, regularity in feeding, and quiet
+gentleness of manner to avoid frightening any new and timid visitors.
+Doubtless there are very many lovers of birds who share this pleasure
+with me, but for those who may not happen to know how to attract the
+feathered tribes I will go a little into detail.
+
+This being a large garden near game preserves, and surrounded by a wide,
+furze-covered common, I have been able to attract and tame the ordinary
+wild pheasants by putting out Indian corn, buckwheat, and raisins, till
+now they come to the doorstep and look up with their brilliant,
+red-ringed eyes, and feed calmly whilst I watch them. It is a really
+beautiful sight to see three or four cock birds, with their
+golden-bronze plumage glistening like polished metal as the morning sun
+rests upon them, and as many of their more sober-coloured mates
+feasting on the dainties they find prepared for them; as a rule, they
+are very amicable and feed together like barndoor fowls. When satisfied,
+the brown hens run swiftly away to cover, while the cocks, with greater
+confidence, walk quietly away in stately fashion, or remain under the
+trees.
+
+Wood-pigeons are usually very shy and wary birds, yet these also come,
+six and eight at a time, and feed at my window, Indian corn and peas
+being their specialities. I have large quantities of beech-nuts and
+acorns collected every autumn, and thus I can scatter this food also for
+pigeons and squirrels all through the winter. Jays, jackdaws, rooks, and
+magpies also approve of acorns and beech-nuts, so it is doing a real
+kindness to tribes of birds to reserve this food for them until their
+other stores are exhausted, and we can thus bring them within our view
+and study their interesting ways, their modes of feeding, and, I fear I
+must add, their squabbles also, for hungry birds are very pugnacious.
+
+Blackbirds and thrushes are very fond of Sultana raisins; they also like
+split groats and brown bread crumbs, as also do starlings and, I
+believe, most of the smaller birds. Fat in any shape or form will
+attract the various species of titmice to the window. I always keep a
+small Normandy basket full of suet and ham-fat hanging on a nail at the
+window. It is a great rendezvous for these charming little pets, and it
+is also supplied with Barcelona nuts for nuthatches, who fully
+appreciate them and carry them off to the nearest tree with rugged bark
+into which they fix the nuts, and then hammer at the shell till they can
+extract the contents.
+
+In very hard frosts I used always to put out a pan of water, as I feared
+the birds suffered from thirst and needed this help. One day, however, I
+was comforted to see some starlings, after a good meal of groats, run
+off to the grass plot and eagerly peck at the hoar-frost, which, while
+it exists, thus supplies the lack of water.
+
+Bewick says linnets are so named from their fondness for linseed, and I
+think most of the finches like it. The greenfinch is soon attracted by
+hemp seed, and all the smaller birds by canary seed. I hope this paper
+may induce many kind hands to minister to the needs of our feathered
+friends during the winter months. It is sad to think of their dying for
+lack of the food we can so easily afford them, and they will be sure to
+repay us by their sweet songs and confiding tameness when summer days
+return.
+
+One is apt to think that winter is the only time when birds need our
+help and bounty, but there is almost as much real distress after a long
+drought in summer, especially amongst the insect-eating birds.
+
+I was led to think of this by the pathetic way in which a hen blackbird
+came to the French window of my room early in June last and stood
+patiently waiting and clicking time after time in trouble of _some_ kind
+I knew, and, supposing it might be food, I threw out a plentiful supply
+of soaked brown bread. At once the poor bird went to it, devouring
+ravenously for her own needs, and then, filling her beak as full as it
+would hold, she flew off with a supply for her young brood. Then came
+thrushes, robins, sparrows, a whole bevy of feathered folk all doing the
+same thing--carrying the provisions in every direction for unseen
+families at starvation point, and I began to realize that the month of
+continued sunshine in which we had rejoiced had brought great distress
+upon the birds by drying up the lawns so that no worms could be found,
+and, as it was early in the year, but few insects were to be had, so
+that just when each pair of birds had a clamorous brood to provide for
+the food supply had fallen short. Now I understood the pathos of the hen
+blackbird's appeal; her dark eyes and note of distress were trying to
+say to me, "I know you care for us; you seemed so kind last winter; when
+we were without food you fed us and saved our lives; but now I am in far
+deeper distress--my children are crying for food, the grass is dried up,
+and the ground so hard that I cannot find a single worm, I am thin and
+worn with hunger myself; do help me and my little ones, and we will sing
+you sweet songs in return to cheer you when wintry days come back again.
+Does she understand? I've said all this several times before, but I
+thought I would make one last appeal before my children die. Yes; she
+has left the room! I will wait. Ah! here it is, just the soft food that
+will suit my little ones: how they _will_ rejoice and all want to be
+fed at once. I hope my friend can understand that I am thanking her with
+all my heart." Love has a universal language and can interpret through
+varied signs, and thus I quite believe the mother bird's heart wished to
+express itself.
+
+Ever since that day I have been careful in nesting time to supply
+suitable and varied food for the families of young birds in times of
+drought, for it seems mournful to think of their dying from want, in the
+season of flowers and green leaves, when nature is to us so attractive,
+and rendered all the more so by their sweet songs.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+RAB, MINOR.
+
+
+This familiar name recalls the delightful story of "Rab and his Friends"
+in "Horæ Subsicivæ," with its naïve description of a very original
+"tyke" of a doggie--a biography which had so lived in my recollection
+that when a queer little fluffy dumpling of a puppy was given me I could
+not help giving it the old familiar name, little knowing how aptly true
+the name would prove to be in after years.
+
+Is there anything more comical than a young Scotch terrier puppy, with
+its preternatural gravity, its queer, ungainly attempts at play, its
+tumbles, and blue-eyed simplicity, and, best of all, its sage look, with
+head on one side, trying to consider the merits of some doggie idea
+which is puzzling his infant brain? Rab went through all the stages of
+puppyhood, showing the usual amount of mischief and fun; he might be met
+carrying about some unfortunate slipper frayed to pieces by his busy
+teeth, or burying a favourite bone under a wool mat in the drawing-room,
+or, worse still, it is recorded in domestic chronicles that he buried a
+hymn-book in the garden, whereupon the cook remarked that she believed
+he had more religion in him than half the Christians; but that reasoning
+was not apparent to any one but herself.
+
+Rab's most notable adventures took place after he had emerged from
+puppyhood. He had a most indomitable spirit of disobedience; he would
+hunt rabbits or anything else he could find in the woods, and one day he
+reached home with a snare tightly drawn round his neck, and panting
+distressingly for breath; the wire was cut only just in time to save
+his life.
+
+Another time he was poisoned by something he had eaten, and had a long
+suffering illness.
+
+His fights with other dogs were fierce and frequent, and whilst engaged
+in a scrimmage with a hated rival, Rab was run over by a passing cart,
+and limped home in a very dejected state; no bones were broken, but he
+was an invalid for some months in consequence.
+
+At last it was thought needful to tie him up, and he had his appointed
+house and a long chain, and with frequent exercise he became quite
+content. One morning our brave little friend was found nearly dead, with
+two terrible wounds in his neck, which must have been made by a sharp
+knife, driven twice through his throat, but, strangely enough, had each
+time just missed severing the wind-pipe. He had nearly died from loss of
+blood, and was scarcely able to breathe; still, our kind servants did
+not give him up; warm milk and beef tea were given him constantly
+through the day; and by night he had revived a little, and was evidently
+going to live. We could never trace the origin of this outrage, and
+could only suppose that burglars had purposed breaking into our house,
+and, enraged at Rab's barking, had at last got hold of, and, as they
+thought, killed him, and flung the body into an adjoining field. Poor
+little doggie! he suffered grievously for his brave defence, and for
+months the wounds were a great distress to him and to us; but all that
+loving care could do was done, and once more his wonderful constitution
+enabled him to regain health and strength. We kept at that time several
+very large mastiffs, and the next adventure occurred early one morning,
+when we were aroused by a terrific noise in the stable-yard, and the
+message brought to us was to the effect that Rab was quite dead. He had
+been worried by one of the mastiffs which had got loose in the night. I
+rose quickly and went to see the poor little victim's body, and looking
+at it, I saw a little quiver in the eyelid that led to a gleam of hope.
+I had him carried indoors, and again teaspoons of milk, &c., were given,
+and actually he began to revive, and a feeble wag of his tail, seemed to
+say, "I'm very bad, but not dead yet." The sad part was that the shaking
+and worrying he had received had reopened the previous wounds, and
+though after a time he was able to get about, he was quite a wreck; one
+ear was gone, and the other, strange to say, was but a fragment, like
+his namesake in "Rab and his Friends." Still, he lived to be nearly
+fifteen, and then rheumatism and loss of teeth made his life a distress
+to him, and he was peacefully dismissed to the rest he had bravely
+earned by his life of courageous devotion to what he thought the path of
+duty.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+A VISIT TO JAMRACH.
+
+
+There is an old and true saying--"Everything comes to him who waits." I
+thought of this saying while on my way to visit the well-known place
+near the London Docks where Mr. Jamrach is supposed to keep almost every
+rare animal, bird, and reptile, ready to supply the wants of all
+customers at a moment's notice. For many long years I had wished to pay
+him a visit, but ill-health and other causes had proved a hindrance and
+I could hardly believe my wish was going to be realized when I found
+myself on the way to his menagerie. After driving through a labyrinth of
+narrow, dirty streets, we were at last obliged to get out and walk till
+we came to the shop, and then we did indeed find ourselves in the midst
+of "animated nature." We had landed amongst the cockatoos, macaws, and
+parrots, and they greeted our arrival with such a chorus of shrieks,
+screams, and hideous cries that my first desire was to rush away
+anywhere out of the reach of such ear-piercing sounds. One had to bear
+it, however, if the curious creatures in the various cages were to be
+examined, and after a time the uproar grew less, and I could hear a word
+or two from Mr. Jamrach, who called my attention to some armadillos,
+huge armour-plated animals, very curious, but somehow not attractive as
+pets; one could not fondle a thing composed of metal plates, shaped like
+a pig, with a tendency to roll itself up into a ball on the slightest
+provocation, and even Mr. Jamrach's argument that if I got tired of it
+as a pet I could have it cooked, as they were excellent eating, failed
+to lead me to a purchase. There was a fine, healthy toucan, with his
+marvellous bill, looking sadly out of place in a small cage in such a
+dingy place. Did he ever think of his tropical forest home, I wondered,
+and wish himself in happier surroundings? A long wooden box with wire
+front contained rows and rows of Grass Parrakeets: many hundreds must
+have been on those perches, one behind the other, poor little patient
+birdies, sitting in solemn silence, never moving an inch, for they were
+wedged in as closely as they could sit and how they could eat and live
+seemed a mystery. As I was in quest of some small rodents I was asked to
+follow Mr. Jamrach to another place where the animals were kept. We came
+to a back yard with dens and cages containing all kinds of tenants, from
+fierce hyenas and wolves to tame deer, monkeys, cats, and dogs. A chorus
+of yelps and barks and growls sounded a little uninviting, and a caution
+from Jamrach, to mind the camel did not seize my young friend's hat,
+made us aware of a stately form gazing down upon us from a recess we had
+not before noticed. Every nook and corner seemed occupied, and in order
+to see a kangaroo rat I was invited up a rickety ladder into a loft
+where a Japanese cat, a large monkey, and sundry other creatures lived.
+I did not take to the kangaroo rat, he was too large and formidable to
+be pleasant, and was by no means tame, but to be pulled out of the cage
+by his long tail was, I confess, enough to scare the mildest quadruped.
+At length I was shown some Peruvian guinea-pigs. Wonderful little
+creatures! With hair three or four inches long, white, yellow and black,
+set on anyhow, sticking out in odd tufts, one side of their heads white
+and the other black, their eyes just like boot buttons, they _were_
+captivating; and a pair had to be chosen forthwith, and packed in a
+basket with a tortoise and a huge Egyptian lizard, and with these spoils
+I was not sorry to leave this place of varied noises and smells. The
+lizard was about fourteen inches long, a really grand creature. He came
+from the ruins of ancient Egypt, and looked in his calm stateliness as
+though he might have gazed upon the Pharaohs themselves. When placed in
+the sun for a time he would sometimes deign to move a few inches, his
+massive, grey, scaly body looking very like a young crocodile. I was
+greatly teased about my fondness for "Rameses," as I called this new and
+majestic pet; there was a great fascination about him, and as I really
+wished to know more of his ways and habits, I carried the basket in
+which he lived everywhere with me indoors and out, and studied all
+possible ways of feeding him; but alas! nothing would induce him to eat.
+After gazing for five minutes at the most tempting mealworm, he would at
+last raise up his mighty head and appear to be revolving great ideas to
+which mealworms and all sublunary things must give place. Jamrach told
+me that the lizard would drink milk, so a saucerful was placed before
+him, and once he did drink a few drops, but generally he walked into and
+over the saucer as if it did not exist.
+
+I believe the poor creature had been without food so long that it had
+lost the power of taking nourishment, and to my great regret I found it
+grew weaker and thinner, and at last it died, and all I could do was to
+send the remains to a naturalist to be preserved somewhat after the
+fashion of its great namesake.
+
+The odd little guinea-pigs were named Fluff and Jamrach, and were a
+source of much amusement. As they could not agree, and as the fights
+grew serious, Jamrach was banished to the stable and Fluff occupied a
+cage in the dining-room. When let out it was curious to see how he would
+always keep close to the sides of the room--never would he venture into
+the middle, the protection of the skirting board seemed indispensable,
+and when let out under the tulip-tree he ran round the trunk in the same
+way, only occasionally making an excursion to the edge of the branches
+which rested on the ground, the space beyond was a _terra incognita_
+which could not be explored by the timid little beastie.
+
+There the two little guinea-pigs enjoyed a happy life on fine days and
+grew to be friends at last, grunting little confidences one to the other
+and going to sleep side by side. They had to be watched and their
+liberty a good deal curtailed when we found a weasel began to appear
+upon the scene, and as it is proverbially difficult to catch a weasel
+either awake or asleep, he has not at present been captured. I much fear
+if he ever attacked the little Peruvians they would stand a poor chance
+of their lives, for they have no idea of self-defence and would fall an
+easy prey to such a fierce, relentless persecutor. Perhaps the gardener
+may devise some way of trapping the wary little creature, so that my
+little friends may dwell in peace under the shady tree.
+
+As the winter came on the cold prevented Fluff going out-of-doors, and
+he led a most inactive life. I don't think he ever had more than two
+ideas in his little brain--he just lived to eat and sleep, and was about
+as interesting as a stuffed animal would have been. He is the only
+instance of any animal I have ever known who seemed to be literally
+without a single habit, apparently without affection, without a temper
+good or bad, with no wishes or desires except to be let alone to doze
+away his aimless life.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+HOW TO OBSERVE NATURE
+
+
+There is all the difference between taking a walk simply for exercise,
+for some special errand, or to enjoy conversation with one's friends,
+and the sort of quiet observant stroll I am going to ask my kind readers
+to take with me to-day.
+
+This beautiful world is full of wonders of every kind, full of evidences
+of the Great Creator's wisdom and skill in adapting each created thing
+to its special purpose. The whole realm of nature is meant, I believe,
+to _speak to us_, to teach us lessons in parables--to lead our hearts
+upward to God who made us and fitted us also for our special place in
+creation.
+
+In the nineteenth Psalm David speaks of the two great books God has
+given us for our instruction. In the first six verses he speaks of the
+teachings of the book of nature and the rest of the Psalm deals with the
+written Word of God.
+
+We acknowledge and read the Scriptures as the book which reveals the
+will of God and His wondrous works for the welfare of mankind, but how
+many fail to give any time or thought to reading the book of nature!
+Thousands may travel and admire beautiful scenery, and derive a certain
+amount of pleasure from nature, just glancing at each object, but really
+observing nothing, and thus failing to learn any of the lessons this
+world's beauty is intended to teach, they might almost as well have
+stayed at home save for the benefit of fresh air and change of scene.
+The habit of minute and careful observation is seldom taught in
+childhood, and is not very likely to be gained in later life when the
+mind is filled with other things. Yet if natural objects are presented
+attractively to the young, how quickly they are interested! Question
+after question is asked, and unconsciously a vast amount of information
+may be conveyed to an intelligent child's mind by a simple, happy little
+chat about some bird or insect. This is _admirably_ shown in a chapter
+on Education in the Life of Mrs. Sewell. I would strongly urge every
+mother to read and follow the advice there given.
+
+We will now start for our garden walk. We have not taken many steps
+before we are led to pause and inquire why there should be little
+patches of grey-looking mud in the small angles of the brickwork of the
+house. Opening one of the patches with a penknife we find a hollow cell,
+and in it some green caterpillars just alive but not able to crawl. Now
+I see that the cell is the work of one of the solitary mason wasps; she
+brings the material, forms the cell, and when nearly finished lays her
+egg at the bottom and provides these half-killed caterpillars as food
+for the young grub when it is hatched, and by the time they are eaten
+the grub becomes a pupa and then hatches into a young wasp to begin life
+on its own account. One day I saw a bee go into a hole in the brickwork
+of the house, and getting my net I waited to capture it; after about
+five minutes the bee came out and flew into the net. It proved to be a
+solitary mason bee, and was doubtless forming a place to lay its egg,
+only, unlike the wasp, she would give the young grub pollen from the
+stamens of flowers to feed upon instead of green caterpillars. I
+remember seeing a mass of clay which had been formed into a wasp's nest
+by one of the solitary species, under the flap of a pembroke table in an
+unused room. A maid in dusting lifted up the flap, and down fell a
+quantity of fine, dry mud with young grubs in it which would soon have
+hatched into wasps, and revealed their rather strange nesting-place. I
+have in my collection a very interesting hornet's nest, which was being
+constructed in the hollow of an old tree. I happened to notice a hornet
+fly into the opening, and, looking in, there was a small beginning of a
+nest. It hung from a kind of stalk and consisted of only eight cells,
+each having an egg at the bottom. I captured the two hornets, and though
+I watched for a long time no others ever came, so I imagine they were
+the founders of what would have been a colony in due time.
+
+But we have been kept a long time engaged with these mason wasps. Let us
+start for our walk. As we take our way through the garden we cannot help
+noticing the happy songs of the different birds, all in full activity
+preparing their nests, carolling to their mates or seeking food for the
+little ones. There is a loud tapping noise as we pass an old fir-tree,
+but no bird is to be seen, so we go round to the other side and trace
+the noise to a small hole near which a quantity of congealed turpentine
+shows that the bark has been pierced by a woodpecker and the sap is
+oozing out. I rap outside the hole and in a minute the grey head of a
+nuthatch appears. He is evidently chiselling out a "highly desirable
+residence" for his summer quarters in this cosy nook, and the hole being
+so small he will not need to get clay to reduce the size of the opening
+and plaster in his mate, which is said to be the curious habit of this
+bird. Do you see that hole about forty feet up the stem of the beech
+opposite? A nuthatch built there six years ago; I often watched him
+going in and out, and heard his peculiar cry as he brought food for his
+mate and her young ones. Next year that lodging was taken by a
+starling, who reared a brood there. The year after the nuthatch had it,
+and then a jackdaw built there; and each year I always feel interested
+to see who the lodgers are going to be.
+
+When I was rearing the wild ducks already described, a weasel used often
+to be prowling near the coop, and when frightened retreated in this
+direction. It happened one day I was walking softly on the grass and saw
+the weasel playing and frisking at the root of that young tree; one
+seldom has such an opportunity of seeing it, for it is very shy and has
+wonderfully quick hearing. It was seeking about in the grass, leaping
+here and there, snuffing the wind, with its snake-like, wicked-looking
+head raised to see over the grass stems, and thus at last it caught
+sight of me, and in a second it darted into the hole you see there, and
+I thus learnt where he lived, but I have not been able to trace his
+history any further at present.
+
+Did you see that snake? We have many of them on the common, and they
+often cross my path in the garden. Happily there are not many of the
+venomous kind: they are smaller than this one, and have a V-shaped mark
+on the head. One day in August I was sitting by the open French window
+in the drawing-room when one of these harmless snakes came close to me,
+looked up at me, putting its quivering little tongue in and out. I
+suppose it decided that I could be trusted, for it glided in and coiled
+itself round upon my dress skirt and seemed to go to sleep. I let it
+stay a good while, but fearing some one might be frightened at seeing it
+there, I reached my parasol and with the hooked handle softly took up
+the snake and laid it on the grass-plat outside thinking it would go
+away--but no, it only turned round and came back and coiled itself up in
+the same place. I found it did not mind being touched, so I stroked it
+and made it creep all its length through my hand--not a very pleasant
+sensation, but a curious experience rarely to be met with. When the
+cold, clammy creature had passed out of my hand it threw out a most
+disgusting odour, of which I had often read. I imagine it was offended
+at my touching it and did this in self-defence. I had at last to carry
+it a long distance to ensure it should not return to the room again.
+
+Some years ago I was witness to the mode in which a snake pursues its
+victim. A large frog leaped upon the gravel walk before the windows,
+crying piteously like a child and taking rapid leaps; a moment after a
+large snake appeared swiftly pursuing the frog. At last it reached it,
+and gave it a bite which broke its back, and then, being alarmed, it
+darted away amongst some rock-work, leaving the frog in a dying state.
+
+This bank we are passing is a favourite winter retreat for female humble
+bees. Early in the autumn they begin to scoop out a little tunnel in
+this grassy slope, and when it is deep enough to protect them from the
+frost they retire into it, and pushing up the earth behind them close up
+the entrance of the hole, and there lie dormant until the warmth of
+spring tempts them to come out. Then they may be found in great numbers
+on the early sallow, and other tree-blossoms, recruiting their strength,
+while they seek a place in some hedge-bank wherein to found a new
+colony.
+
+The Carder bee forms its nest on the ground and makes a roof of
+interwoven moss, from which it takes its name. I once gathered the moss
+from such a nest by chance and saw the little mass of cells with honey
+in them. I went away, meaning to examine it more closely on my return,
+but a crow in the apple-tree overhead chanced to spy the nest and made
+off with it in his beak before I could rescue the honey store of the
+poor little bees I had so unwittingly injured.
+
+That old tree-stump is being gradually carried away by wasps. The wood
+is just sufficiently decayed to afford the material of which they make
+their nests. You see there are several wasps busily rasping pieces of
+the rotten wood into convenient-sized morsels, which they can carry to
+the nest, there to be masticated into the papery layers of which the
+outer walls of the nest are formed. This walk used to have a row of
+grand old silver firs of great height, but each winter some of them have
+been blown down till only a few are left.
+
+Some years since I noticed at the root of one of them a pile of fine
+sawdust more than a foot high, and found that some wood wasps were
+busily engaged in excavating the interior of the tree and forming
+tunnels in which to lay their eggs. I watched them for half an hour and
+found that every half-minute a wasp went in at the aperture carrying a
+blue-bottle or some kind of fly in its mandibles. Next day I took a
+friend to see the wasps, and while watching them the wind caused the
+immense tree-stem to sway to and fro from its base as if in the act of
+falling, and on examination we found it was only held in its place by a
+small portion of root, and though the branches were green, it must have
+been hollow and dead inside, which appears to be the way in which silver
+firs decay, and the wasps had found it out and made a delightful home in
+the rotten wood. With some difficulty the great tree was safely taken
+down, and then it was a most curious sight to see the endless chambers
+and galleries made in the stem, all tenanted by young wasp-grubs and
+half-dead flies; and all the summer they were being hatched in countless
+numbers. The view over our common is lovely from this point; it is
+golden with rich yellow gorse, giving cover to innumerable rabbits,
+which find their way into our garden in spite of wire fences and all
+that the gardener can do to keep them out. One clever little mother
+rabbit made her burrow deep down in a heap of sawdust close to the
+stable. My coachman put his arm down to the bottom of the hole and
+brought out a little grey furred creature, kicking and screaming with
+wonderful vigour in spite of its tender years. The nest was allowed to
+remain, and in a few days the mother removed her brood to a hole at the
+root of a bushy stone-pine, where the little ones frisked in and out and
+looked so pretty that I was won over to allow them to stay, and, by
+netting round the tree, we formed a miniature warren for the young
+family; but I fear that in course of time we may bitterly repent this
+step, and the numbers may increase to such an extent that pinks and
+lobelia may become things of the past and the rabbit warren may have to
+be abolished.
+
+A fox is sometimes seen and hunted in these parts. One surprised me by
+leaping upon the window-sill and looking into the drawing-room. At first
+I could not think what it was. It had been dug out of its hole; its fur
+was muddy and torn, its eyes piteous in their expression, and when it
+ran slowly on I saw it was very lame. I ran to the window to let it in,
+but though it leaped up to each window in succession, they all happened
+to be shut, and I was quite grieved to think the poor, weary creature
+could find no shelter. I am no admirer of field-sports. I think they
+give rise to the utmost cruelty to the creatures hunted and shot, to the
+horses and dogs employed; and to witness torture inflicted on
+unoffending animals cannot but have a debasing effect on the human mind.
+When once any one has seen the anguish of a deer, a fox, or hare, at the
+end of the race, there can be no question about the cruelty of the
+proceeding, and to one who loves every created thing as I do, it gives
+the keenest pain to know how much suffering of this kind goes on during
+the hunting season.[3]
+
+[Footnote 3: I cannot resist quoting and strongly endorsing the
+following lament by Mr. H. Stacy Marks, R.A., as to the way in which
+birds are too frequently treated by the public at large: "Many people
+regarding birds in but three aspects--as things to be either eaten,
+shot, or worn.... No natural history of a bird is complete without
+recording where the last specimen was shot; and should a rare bird visit
+our shores, the hospitality which we accord to the foreign refugee is
+denied, and it is bound to be the victim of powder and shot. The fashion
+of wearing birds or their plumage as part of ladies' attire, threatens
+to exterminate many beautiful species, such as the humming-birds of
+South America, the glossy starlings of Africa, and the glorious Impeyan
+pheasant of the Himalayas, with many other species."]
+
+There goes a cuckoo, with quite a flight of small birds pursuing him
+wherever he goes.
+
+Small birds seem to have an intense hatred of jays and cuckoos, and will
+often fly at them in the nesting season, giving them no peace till they
+drive them out of the garden, knowing full well that their own broods
+are often devoured by the jay, and that the cuckoo has designs upon the
+nests.
+
+Although we are some distance from home, I can show you one of my own
+bees on this furze blossom. I have a hive of Swiss, or Ligurian bees,
+which are said to be in some respects superior to the English species.
+The honey is of excellent flavour, and the first year I had far more
+honey from the Ligurian hive. I do not think any other hives of
+Ligurians are kept within five miles, and, as you see, they have a band
+of bright yellow on the abdomen. I can always tell my own bees when I
+meet with them in my walks on the common or in the lanes. I had a rather
+trying adventure with these bees last May. One Sunday evening we were
+just starting for church, about half-past six, when my little niece ran
+in exclaiming that there was a great bunch of bees hanging on a branch
+near the hives. I knew what had happened--my very irreverent bees had
+swarmed on this quiet Sunday evening, and they must be hived if
+possible.
+
+My bonnet was soon off and the bee-dress put on, and in five minutes the
+bees were secured and settled into a hive. We went to church and were
+not even late, but--during the first prayer I heard ominous sounds of a
+furious bee under my dress; it was, fortunately, a partly transparent
+material, and glancing furtively about I saw my little friend under the
+skirt going up and down with an angry biz-z-z. Only the pocket-hole
+could release him, so I held that safely in my hand all through the
+service, lest the congregation might suffer the wrath of a furious bee,
+which in truth is no light matter, for in blind fury it will rush at the
+first person it meets and leave its sting in the face or hand. Happily I
+succeeded in bringing the bee home again, and resolved to avoid hiving
+swarms before church-time in future.
+
+You see under the drooping boughs of the fir-tree yonder an old stone
+basin, well known to all the birds in the neighbourhood, for there they
+always find a supply of fresh water and food of various kinds to suit
+all tastes. As it is opposite the dining-room window, it is very
+interesting to see a tame jay and sundry squirrels enjoying the acorns
+which were collected for them last autumn and stored up so as to keep
+the basin well supplied all through the winter and spring, until other
+food should be plentiful. Finches, robins, and sparrows find wheat and
+crumbs to their taste, and take their daily bath not without some
+squabbling as to who shall have it first--a difficulty which is
+sometimes settled by a portly blackbird appearing on the scene and
+scattering the smaller folk, whilst he takes his early tubbing and sends
+up showers of spray in the process. Very pretty are the scenes on that
+same stone basin when in early summer a mother bird brings her little
+tribe of downy, chirping babes, and feeds each little gaping mouth with
+some suitable morsels from the store she finds there.
+
+A sheaf of corn in winter is also a great boon to the starved-out
+birdies, when snow has long deprived them of their natural food, and the
+water supply has to be often renewed on freezing days, for many a bird
+dies in winter from lack of water, all its usual supplies being frozen.
+The tameness of birds in severe weather is a touching sign of their
+distress, and a mute appeal to us to help them.
+
+          "The fowls of heaven
+          Tam'd by the cruel season, crowd around
+          The winnowing store, and claim the little boon
+          Which Providence assigns them."
+
+It is pleasant to think that they seldom appeal in vain. "Crumbs for the
+birds" are scattered by kindly little hands everywhere in winter, and in
+many a house a pet sonsie little robin is a cherished visitor, always
+welcome to his small share of the good things of this life.
+
+Our ramble might be indefinitely prolonged and still be full of interest
+and instruction, but in these simple remarks enough has been shown, I
+trust, to lead many to _think_ and _observe_ closely every, even the
+minutest, thing that catches their attention whilst out for a ramble in
+lanes and fields, even a microscopic moss upon an old wall has been
+suggestive of many lovely thoughts, with which I will conclude our
+ramble and this chapter.
+
+   "It was not all a tale of eld,
+    That fairies, who their revels held
+    By moonlight, in the greenwood shade
+    Their beakers of the moss-cups made.
+    The wondrous light which science burns
+    Reveals those lovely jewelled urns!
+    Fair lace-work spreads from roughest stems
+    And shows each tuft a mine of gems.
+        Voices from the silent sod,
+        Speaking of the Perfect God.
+
+    Fringeless, or fringed, and fringed again,
+    No single leaflet formed in vain;
+    What wealth of heavenly wisdom lies
+    Within one moss-cup's mysteries!
+    And few may know what silvery net,
+    Down in its mimic depths is set
+    To catch the rarest dews that fall
+    Upon the dry and barren wall.
+        Voices from the silent sod,
+        Speaking of the Perfect God."
+
+                                     L. N. R.
+
+
+[Illustration: End]
+
+  BOOKS FOR
+  RECREATION
+  AND STUDY
+
+[Illustration]
+
+                           PUBLISHED BY
+                           T. FISHER UNWIN,
+                           11, PATERNOSTER
+                           BUILDINGS, LONDON,
+                           E.C. ....
+
+
+SIX-SHILLING NOVELS
+
+_In uniform green cloth, large crown 8vo., gilt tops_, 6s.
+
+
+EFFIE HETHERINGTON. By ROBERT BUCHANAN. Second Edition.
+
+AN OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS. By JOSEPH CONRAD. Second Edition.
+
+ALMAYER'S FOLLY. By JOSEPH CONRAD. Second Edition.
+
+THE EBBING OF THE TIDE. By LOUIS BECKE. Second Edition.
+
+A FIRST FLEET FAMILY. By LOUIS BECKE and WALTER JEFFERY.
+
+PADDY'S WOMAN, and Other Stories. By HUMPHREY JAMES.
+
+CLARA HOPGOOD. By MARK RUTHERFORD. Second Edition.
+
+THE TALES OF JOHN OLIVER HOBBES. Portrait of the Author. Second Edition.
+
+THE STICKIT MINISTER By S. R. CROCKETT. Eleventh Edition.
+
+THE LILAC SUNBONNET By S. R. CROCKETT. Sixth Edition.
+
+THE RAIDERS. By S. R. CROCKETT. Eighth Edition.
+
+THE GREY MAN. By S. R. CROCKETT.
+
+IN A MAN'S MIND. By J. R. WATSON.
+
+A DAUGHTER OF THE FEN. By J. T. BEALBY. Second Edition.
+
+THE HERB-MOON. By JOHN OLIVER HOBBES. Third Edition.
+
+NANCY NOON. By BENJAMIN SWIFT. Second Edition. With New Preface.
+
+MR. MAGNUS. By F. REGINALD STATHAM. Second Edition.
+
+TROOPER PETER HALKET OF MASHONALAND. By OLIVE SCHREINER. Frontispiece.
+
+PACIFIC TALES. By LOUIS BECKE. With Frontispiece Portrait of the Author.
+Second Edition.
+
+MRS. KEITH'S CRIME. By Mrs. W. K. CLIFFORD. Sixth Edition. With Portrait
+of Mrs. Keith by the Hon. JOHN COLLIER, and a New Preface by the Author.
+
+HUGH WYNNE. By Dr. S. WEIR MITCHELL. With Frontispiece Illustration.
+
+THE TORMENTOR. By BENJAMIN SWIFT, Author of "Nancy Noon."
+
+PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE. By AMELIA E. BARR, Author of "Jan Vedder's
+Wife." With 12 Illustrations.
+
+THE GODS, SOME MORTALS AND LORD WICKENHAM. New Edition. By JOHN OLIVER
+HOBBES.
+
+THE OUTLAWS OF THE MARCHES. By Lord ERNEST HAMILTON. Fully illustrated.
+
+THE SCHOOL FOR SAINTS: Part of the History of the Right Honourable
+Robert Orange, M.P. By JOHN OLIVER HOBBES, Author of "Sinner's Comedy,"
+"Some Emotions and a Moral," "The Herb Moon," &c.
+
+THE PEOPLE OF CLOPTON. By GEORGE BARTRAM.
+
+
+  EFFIE HETHERINGTON
+        BY
+  ROBERT BUCHANAN
+
+_Second Edition. Crown 8vo., cloth,_ 6s.
+
+
+"Mr. Robert Buchanan has written several novels ... but among those
+which we know, there is not one so nearly redeemed by its ability and
+interest.... The girl is simply odious; but Mr. Buchanan is a poet--it
+would seem sometimes _malgré lui_, in this instance it is _quand
+même_--and he dowers the worthless Effie with a rugged,
+half-misanthropic, steadfast lover, whose love, never rewarded, is
+proved by as great a sacrifice as fact or fiction has ever known, and
+who is almost as striking a figure as Heathcliff in 'Wuthering
+Heights.'"--_World_.
+
+
+  WORKS BY JOSEPH CONRAD
+
+I.
+
+AN OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS
+
+_Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+     "Subject to the qualifications thus disposed of (_vide_ first part
+     of notice), 'An Outcast of the Islands' is perhaps the finest piece
+     of fiction that has been published this year, as 'Almayer's Folly'
+     was one of the finest that was published in 1895.... Surely this is
+     real romance--the romance that is real. Space forbids anything but
+     the merest recapitulation of the other living realities of Mr.
+     Conrad's invention--of Lingard, of the inimitable Almayer, the
+     one-eyed Babalatchi, the Naturalist, of the pious Abdulla--all
+     novel, all authentic. Enough has been written to show Mr. Conrad's
+     quality. He imagines his scenes and their sequence like a master;
+     he knows his individualities and their hearts; he has a new and
+     wonderful field in this East Indian Novel of his.... Greatness is
+     deliberately written; the present writer has read and re-read his
+     two books, and after putting this review aside for some days to
+     consider the discretion of it, the word still stands."--_Saturday
+     Review._
+
+
+II.
+
+ALMAYER'S FOLLY
+
+_Second Edition. Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+"THIS STARTLING, UNIQUE, SPLENDID BOOK."
+                   MR. T. P. O'CONNOR, M.P.
+
+     "This is a decidedly powerful story of an uncommon type, and breaks
+     fresh ground in fiction.... All the leading characters in the
+     book--Almayer, his wife, his daughter, and Dain, the daughter's
+     native lover--are well drawn, and the parting between father and
+     daughter has a pathetic naturalness about it, unspoiled by
+     straining after effect. There are, too, some admirably graphic
+     passages in the book. The approach of a monsoon is most effectively
+     described.... The name of Mr. Joseph Conrad is new to us, but it
+     appears to us as if he might become the Kipling of the Malay
+     Archipelago."--_Spectator._
+
+
+  THE EBBING OF THE
+  TIDE                  BY
+                    LOUIS BECKE
+             Author of "By Reef and Palm"
+
+_Second Edition. Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+     "Mr. Louis Becke wields a powerful pen, with the additional
+     advantage that he waves it in unfrequented places, and summons up
+     with it the elemental passions of human nature.... It will be seen
+     that Mr. Becke is somewhat of the fleshly school, but with a pathos
+     and power not given to the ordinary professors of that school....
+     Altogether for those who like stirring stories cast in strange
+     scenes, this is a book to be read."--_National Observer._
+
+
+  PACIFIC TALES
+             BY
+         LOUIS BECKE
+With a Portrait of the Author
+
+_Second Edition. Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+     "The appearance of a new book by Mr. Becke has become an event of
+     note--and very justly. No living author, if we except Mr. Kipling,
+     has so amazing a command of that unhackneyed vitality of phrase
+     that most people call by the name of realism. Whether it is scenery
+     or character or incident that he wishes to depict, the touch is
+     ever so dramatic and vivid that the reader is conscious of a
+     picture and impression that has no parallel save in the records of
+     actual sight and memory."--_Westminster Gazette._
+
+     "Another series of sketches of island life in the South Seas, not
+     inferior to those contained in 'By Reef and Palm.'"--_Speaker._
+
+     "The book is well worth reading. The author knows what he is
+     talking about and has a keen eye for the picturesque."--G. B.
+     BURGIN in _To-day_.
+
+     "A notable contribution to the romance of the South Seas."
+
+     T. P. O'CONNOR, M.P., in _The Graphic_.
+
+
+  PADDY'S WOMAN
+             BY
+       HUMPHREY JAMES
+
+_Crown 8vo._, 6s.
+
+"Traits of the Celt of humble circumstances are copied with keen
+appreciation and unsparing accuracy." _Scotsman._
+
+"... They are full of indescribable charm and pathos."--_Bradford
+Observer._
+
+"The outstanding merit of this series of stories is that they are
+absolutely true to life ... the photographic accuracy and minuteness
+displayed are really marvellous."
+
+_Aberdeen Free Press._
+
+"'Paddy's Woman and Other Stories' by Humphrey James; a volume written
+in the familiar diction of the Ulster people themselves, with PERFECT
+REALISM AND VERY REMARKABLE ABILITY.... FOR GENUINE HUMAN NATURE AND
+HUMAN RELATIONS, AND HUMOUR OF AN INDESCRIBABLE KIND, WE ARE UNABLE TO
+CITE A RIVAL TO THIS VOLUME."
+
+_The World._
+
+"For a fine subtle piece of humour we are inclined to think that 'A
+GLASS OF WHISKY' takes a lot of beating.... In short Mr. Humphrey James
+has given us a delightful book, and one which does as much credit to his
+heart as to his head. We shall look forward with a keen anticipation to
+the next 'writings' by this shrewd, 'cliver,' and compassionate young
+author."--_Bookselling._
+
+
+  CLARA HOPGOOD
+             BY
+       MARK RUTHERFORD
+        _EDITED_ BY
+       REUBEN SHAPCOTT
+
+_Second Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+(_The Third and Cheaper Edition is now ready, Crown 8vo.,
+         cloth_, 3s. 6d.)
+
+"The writer who goes by the name of Mark Rutherford is not the most
+popular novelist of his time by any means. There are writers with names
+which that recluse genius has never heard of, probably, whose stories
+give palpitations to thousands of gentle souls, while his own are
+quietly read by no more than as many hundreds. Yet his publisher never
+announces a new story by the Author of 'Mark Rutherford's
+Autobiography,' and 'The Revolution in Tanner's Lane,'--which we believe
+to be one of the most remarkable bits of writing that these times can
+boast of--without strongly exciting the interest of many who know books
+as precious stones are known in Hatton Garden.... 'Clara Hopgood' is
+entirely out of the way of all existing schools of novel-writing.... Had
+we to select a good illustration of 'Mark's way' as distinguished from
+the way of modern storytellers in general, we should point to the
+chapter in which Baruch visits his son Benjamin in this narration.
+Nothing could be more simple, nothing more perfect."--_Pall Mall
+Gazette._
+
+
+  A FIRST FLEET FAMILY
+  BEING A HITHERTO
+  UNPUBLISHED NARRATIVE
+  OF CERTAIN REMARKABLE
+  ADVENTURES COMPILED
+  FROM THE PAPERS OF
+  SERGEANT WILLIAM
+  DEW, OF THE MARINES
+
+             BY
+LOUIS BECKE and WALTER JEFFERY
+
+_Second Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"As convincingly real and vivid as a narrative can be."--_Sketch._
+
+"No maker of plots could work out a better story of its kind, nor
+balance it more neatly."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+"A book which describes a set of characters varied and so attractive as
+the more prominent figures in this romance and a book so full of life,
+vicissitude, and peril, should be welcomed by every discreet novel
+reader."--_Yorkshire Post._
+
+"A very interesting tale, written in clear and vigorous
+English."--_Globe._
+
+"The novel is a happy blend of truth and fiction, with a purpose that
+will be appreciated by many readers; it has also the most exciting
+elements of the tale of adventure."
+
+_Morning Post._
+
+
+  THE TALES OF JOHN
+  OLIVER HOBBES
+
+With a Frontispiece Portrait of the Author
+
+_Second Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"The cleverness of them all is extraordinary."--_Guardian._
+
+"The volume proves how little and how great a thing it is to write a
+'Pseudonym.' Four whole 'Pseudonyms' ... are easily contained within its
+not extravagant limits, and these four little books have given John
+Oliver Hobbes a recognized position as a master of epigram and narrative
+comedy."--_St. James's Gazette._
+
+"As her star has been sudden in its rise so may it stay long with us!
+Some day she may give us something better than these tingling, pulsing,
+mocking, epigrammatic morsels."--_Times._
+
+"There are several literary ladies, of recent origin, who have tried to
+come up to the society ideal; but John Oliver Hobbes is by far the best
+writer of them all, by far the most capable artist in fiction.... She is
+clever enough for anything."--_Saturday Review._
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+  THE HERB MOON
+             BY
+     JOHN OLIVER HOBBES
+
+_Third Edition, Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"The jaded reader who needs sauce for his literary appetite cannot do
+better than buy 'The Herb Moon.'"--_Literary World._
+
+"A book to hail with more than common pleasure. The epigrammatic
+quality, the power of rapid analysis and brilliant presentation are
+there, and added to these a less definable quality, only to be described
+as charm.... 'The Herb Moon' is as clever as most of its predecessors,
+and far less artificial."--_Athenæum._
+
+
+  THE STICKIT MINISTER
+  AND SOME COMMON
+  MEN
+             BY
+       S. R. CROCKETT
+
+_Eleventh Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"Here is one of the books which are at present coming singly and at long
+intervals, like early swallows, to herald, it is to be hoped, a larger
+flight. When the larger flight appears, the winter of our discontent
+will have passed, and we shall be able to boast that the short story can
+make a home east as well as west of the Atlantic. There is plenty of
+human nature--of the Scottish variety, which is a very good variety--in
+'The Stickit Minister' and its companion stories; plenty of humour, too,
+of that dry, pawky kind which is a monopoly of 'Caledonia, stern and
+wild'; and, most plentiful of all, a quiet perception and reticent
+rendering of that underlying pathos of life which is to be discovered,
+not in Scotland alone, but everywhere that a man is found who can see
+with the heart and the imagination as well as the brain. Mr. Crockett
+has given us a book that is not merely good, it is what his countrymen
+would call 'by-ordinar' good,' which, being interpreted into a tongue
+understanded of the southern herd, means that it is excellent, with a
+somewhat exceptional kind of excellence."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+  THE LILAC SUN-BONNET
+             BY
+       S. R. CROCKETT
+
+_Sixth Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"Mr. Crockett's 'Lilac Sun-Bonnet' 'needs no bush.' Here is a pretty
+love tale, and the landscape and rural descriptions carry the exile back
+into the Kingdom of Galloway. Here, indeed, is the scent of bog-myrtle
+and peat. After inquiries among the fair, I learn that of all romances,
+they best love, not 'sociology,' not 'theology,' still less, open
+manslaughter, for a motive, but, just love's young dream, chapter after
+chapter. From Mr. Crockett they get what they want, 'hot with,' as
+Thackeray admits that he liked it."
+
+Mr. ANDREW LANG in _Longman's Magazine_.
+
+
+  THE RAIDERS
+             BY
+       S. R. CROCKETT
+
+_Eighth Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"A thoroughly enjoyable novel, full of fresh, original, and accurate
+pictures of life long gone by."--_Daily News._
+
+"A strikingly realistic romance."--_Morning Post._
+
+"A stirring story.... Mr. Crockett's style is charming. My Baronite
+never knew how musical and picturesque is Scottish-English till he read
+this book."--_Punch._
+
+"The youngsters have their Stevenson, their Barrie, and now a third
+writer has entered the circle, S. R. Crockett, with a lively and jolly
+book of adventures, which the paterfamilias pretends to buy for his
+eldest son, but reads greedily himself and won't let go till he has
+turned over the last page.... Out of such historical elements and
+numberless local traditions the author has put together an exciting tale
+of adventures on land and sea." _Frankfurter Zeitung._
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_SOME SCOTCH NOTICES._
+
+"Galloway folk should be proud to rank 'The Raiders' among the classics
+of the district."--_Scotsman._
+
+"Mr. Crockett's 'The Raiders' is one of the great literary successes of
+the season."--_Dundee Advertiser._
+
+"Mr. Crockett has achieved the distinction of having produced the book
+of the season."--_Dumfries and Galloway Standard._
+
+"The story told in it is, as a story, nearly perfect." _Aberdeen Daily
+Free Press._
+
+"'The Raiders' is one of the most brilliant efforts of recent
+fiction."--_Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser._
+
+
+  THE GREY MAN
+             BY
+       S. R. CROCKETT
+
+_Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+ _Also, an Edition de Luxe, with 26 Drawings by_
+SEYMOUR LUCAS, R.A., _limited to 250 copies, signed
+    by Author. Crown 4to., cloth gilt_, 21s. _net_.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"It has nearly all the qualities which go to make a book of the
+first-class. Before you have read twenty pages you know that you are
+reading a classic."--_Literary World._
+
+"All of that vast and increasing host of readers who prefer the novel of
+action to any other form of fiction should, nay, indeed, must, make a
+point of reading this exceedingly fine example of its class."--_Daily
+Chronicle._
+
+"With such passages as these [referring to quotations], glowing with
+tender passion, or murky with horror, even the most insatiate lover of
+romance may feel that Mr. Crockett has given him good measure, well
+pressed down and running over."--_Daily Telegraph._
+
+
+  A DAUGHTER OF THE
+  FEN
+             BY
+       S. R. CROCKETT
+
+_Second Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"It will deserve notice at the hands of such as are interested in the
+ways and manner of living of a curious race that has ceased to be."
+_Daily Chronicle._
+
+"For a first book 'A Daughter of the Fen' is full of
+promise."--_Academy._
+
+"This book deserves to be read for its extremely interesting account of
+life in the Fens and for its splendid character study of Mme.
+Dykereave." _Star._
+
+"Deserves high praise."--_Scotsman._
+
+"It is an able, interesting ... an exciting book, and is well worth
+reading. And when once taken up it will be difficult to lay it down."
+_Westminster Gazette._
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+  IN A MAN'S MIND
+             BY
+      JOHN REAY WATSON
+
+_Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"We regard the book as well worth the effort of reading."--_British
+Review._
+
+"The book is clever, very clever."--_Dundee Advertiser._
+
+"The power and pathos of the book are undeniable."--_Liverpool Post._
+
+"It is a book of some promise."--_Newsagent._
+
+"Mr. Watson has hardly a rival among Australian writers, past or
+present. There is real power in the book--power of insight, power of
+reflection, power of analysis, power of presentation.... 'Tis a very
+well made book--not a set of independent episodes strung on the thread
+of a name or two, but closely interwoven to the climax." _Sydney
+Bulletin._
+
+"There is behind it all a power of drawing human nature that in time
+arrests the attention."--_Athenæum._
+
+
+  NANCY NOON
+             BY
+       BENJAMIN SWIFT
+
+_Second Edition._ _Cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Some Reviews on the First Edition.
+
+"'Nancy Noon' is perhaps the strongest book of the year, certainly by
+far the strongest book which has been published by any new writer....
+Mr. Swift contrives to keep his book from end to end real, passionate,
+even intense.
+
+... If Mr. Meredith had never written, one would have predicted, with
+the utmost confidence, a great future for Mr. Benjamin Swift, and even
+as it is I have hopes."--_Sketch._
+
+"Certainly a promising first effort."--_Whitehall Review._
+
+"If 'Nancy Noon' be Mr. Swift's first book, it is a success of an
+uncommon kind."--_Dundee Advertiser._
+
+"'Nancy Noon' is one of the most remarkable novels of the year, and the
+author, avowedly a beginner, has succeeded in gaining a high position in
+the ranks of contemporary writers.... All his characters are delightful.
+In the heat of sensational incidents or droll scenes we stumble on
+observations that set us reflecting, and but for an occasional roughness
+of style--elliptical, Carlyle mannerisms--the whole is admirably
+written."--_Westminster Gazette._
+
+"Mr. Swift has the creative touch and a spark of genius."--_Manchester
+Guardian._
+
+"Mr. Swift has held us interested from the first to the last page of his
+novel."--_World._
+
+"The writer of 'Nancy Noon' has succeeded in presenting a powerfully
+written and thoroughly interesting story."--_Scotsman._
+
+"We are bound to admit that the story interested us all through, that it
+absorbed us towards the end, and that not until the last page had been
+read did we find it possible to lay the book down."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+"It is a very strong book, very vividly coloured, very fascinating in
+its style, very compelling in its claim on the attention, and not at all
+likely to be soon forgotten."--_British Weekly._
+
+"A clever book.... The situations and ensuing complications are
+dramatic, and are handled with originality and daring
+throughout."--_Daily News._
+
+"Mr. Benjamin Swift has written a vastly entertaining book."--_Academy._
+
+
+  MR. MAGNUS
+             BY
+    F. REGINALD STATHAM
+
+_Second Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Some Press Opinions on the First Edition.
+
+"One of the most powerful and vividly written novels of the
+day."--_Nottingham Guardian._
+
+"A grim, terrible, and convincing picture."--_New Age._
+
+"Very impressive."--_Saturday Review._
+
+"Distinctly readable."--_Speaker._
+
+"A remarkable book." _Standard._
+
+"Full of incident."--_Liverpool Mercury._
+
+"One of the most important and timely books ever written." _Newcastle
+Daily Mercury._
+
+"A vivid and stirring narrative."--_Globe._
+
+"An exceedingly clever and remarkable production."--_World._
+
+"A book to be read."--_Newsagent._
+
+"A terrible picture."--_Sheffield Independent._
+
+"One of the best stories lately published."--_Echo._
+
+"Worth reading."--_Guardian._ "A sprightly book."--_Punch._
+
+"The story is very much brought up to date."--_Times._
+
+"Vivid and convincing."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+"The story is good and well told."--_Pall Mall Gazette._
+
+"Ought to be immensely popular."--_Reynolds' Weekly Newspaper._
+
+"A most readable story."--_Glasgow Herald._
+
+"A brilliant piece of work."--_Daily Telegraph._
+
+"The story should make its mark."--_Bookseller._
+
+"Admirably written."--_Sheffield Daily Telegraph._
+
+"The more widely it is read the better."--_Manchester Guardian._
+
+"Will find many appreciative readers."--_Aberdeen Free Press._
+
+"Exciting reading."--_Daily Mail._
+
+"Can be heartily recommended."--_Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper._
+
+"A well-written and capable story."--_People._
+
+"Well written."--_Literary World._
+
+
+  TROOPER PETER HALKET OF MASHONALAND
+             BY
+       OLIVE SCHREINER
+      Author of "Dreams,"
+"Real Life and Dream Life," &c.
+
+_Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"We advise our readers to purchase and read Olive Schreiner's new book
+'Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland.' Miss Schreiner is one of the few
+magicians of modern English literature, and she has used the great
+moral, as well as the great literary, force of her style to great
+effect."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+"The story is one that is certain to be widely read, and it is well that
+it should be so, especially at this moment; it grips the heart and
+haunts the imagination. To have written such a book is to render a
+supreme service, for it is as well to know what the rough work means of
+subjugating inferior races."--_Daily News._
+
+"Some of the imaginative passages are very fine.... The book is
+powerfully written."--_Scotsman._
+
+"Is well and impressively written."--_Pall Mall Gazette._
+
+
+  MRS. KEITH'S CRIME
+             BY
+      MRS. W. K. CLIFFORD
+
+With a Portrait of Mrs. Keith by the
+          Hon. John Collier.
+
+_Sixth Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"Is certainly the strongest book that Mrs. W. K. Clifford has given to
+the public. It is probably too the most popular."--_World._
+
+"It is charmingly told."--_Literary World._
+
+"A novel of extraordinary dramatic force, and it will doubtless be
+widely read in its present very cheap and attractive form."--_Star._
+
+"Mrs. Clifford's remarkable tale."--_Athenæum._
+
+"Will prove a healthy tonic to readers who have recently been taking a
+course of shilling shocker mental medicine.... There are many beautiful
+womanly touches throughout the pages of this interesting volume, and it
+can be safely recommended to readers old and young."--_Aberdeen Free
+Press._
+
+
+  SOME 3/6 NOVELS
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Uniform Edition of MARK RUTHERFORD'S works. Edited by REUBEN SHAPCOTT.
+Crown 8vo., cloth.
+
+  THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARK RUTHERFORD. Fifth Edition.
+  MARK RUTHERFORD'S DELIVERANCE. New Edition.
+  MIRIAM'S SCHOOLING, and other Papers. By MARK RUTHERFORD.
+    With Frontispiece by WALTER CRANE. Second Edition.
+  THE REVOLUTION IN TANNER'S LANE
+  CATHARINE FURZE: A Novel. By MARK RUTHERFORD. Fourth Edition.
+  CLARA HOPGOOD. By MARK RUTHERFORD.
+
+"These writings are certainly not to be lightly dismissed, bearing as
+they do the impress of a mind which, although limited in range and
+sympathies, is decidedly original."--_Times._
+
+
+THE STATEMENT OF STELLA MABERLY. By F. ANSTEY, Author of "Vice Versâ."
+Crown 8vo, cloth.
+
+"It is certainly a strange and striking story."--_Athenæum._
+
+
+GINETTE'S HAPPINESS. Being a translation by RALPH DERECHEF of "Le
+Bonheur de Ginette." Crown 8vo, cloth.
+
+"Pretty and gracefully told."--_Pall Mall Gazette._
+
+
+SILENT GODS AND SUN-STEEPED LANDS. By R. W. FRAZER Second Edition. With
+4 full-page Illustrations by A. D. MCCORMICK and a Photogravure
+Frontispiece. Small crown 8vo., cloth.
+
+"Mr. Frazer writes powerfully and well, and seems to have an intimate
+acquaintance with the sun-steeped land, and the strange beings who
+people it."--_Glasgow Herald._
+
+
+PAUL HEINSIUS. By CORA LYSTER. Crown 8vo., cloth.
+
+"This is an extremely clever and altogether admirable, but not
+altogether unkind anatomisation of Teutonic character."--_Daily
+Chronicle._
+
+
+MY BAGDAD. By ELLIOTT DICKSON. Illustrated. 8vo., cloth.
+
+"Related with a refreshing simplicity that is certain to approve itself
+to readers."--_Bookseller._
+
+
+SILK OF THE KINE. By L. MCMANUS (C. MacGuire), Author of "Amabel: A
+Military Romance." Crown 8vo., cloth.
+
+"We have read 'The Silk of the Kine,' from the first page to the last,
+without missing a single word, and we sighed regretfully when Mr.
+McManus brought the adventures of Margery Ny Guire and Piers Ottley to a
+close."--_Literary World._
+
+
+A POT OF HONEY. By SUSAN CHRISTIAN. Crown 8vo., cloth.
+
+"The book is the outcome of a clever mind."--_Athenæum._
+
+
+LIZA OF LAMBETH. By W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM. Crown 8vo., cloth.
+
+"An interesting story of life and character in the Surrey-side slums,
+presented with a great deal of sympathetic humour."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+
+THE TWILIGHT REEF, and other Stories. By HERBERT C. MCILWAIN. Crown
+8vo., cloth.
+
+
+  THE HALF-CROWN SERIES
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_Each Demy 12mo., cloth._
+
+  1. A GENDER IN SATAN. By RITA.
+  2. THE MAKING OF MARY. By JEAN M. MCILWRAITH.
+  3. DIANA'S HUNTING. By ROBERT BUCHANAN.
+  4. SIR QUIXOTE OF THE MOORS. By JOHN BUCHAN.
+  5. DREAMS. By OLIVE SCHREINER.
+  6. THE HONOUR OF THE FLAG. By CLARK RUSSELL.
+  7. LE SELVE. By OUIDA. 2nd Edition.
+  8. AN ALTRUIST. By OUIDA. 2nd Edition.
+
+
+  THE CAMEO SERIES
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_Demy 12mo., half-bound, paper boards, price_ 3s. 6d.
+
+_Vols. 14-17_, 3s. 6d. _net_.
+
+_Also, an Edition de Luxe, limited to 30 copies, printed on Japan
+paper._
+
+_Prices on application._
+
+
+1. THE LADY FROM THE SEA. By HENRIK IBSEN. Translated by ELEANOR MARX
+AVELING. Second Edition. Portrait.
+
+4. IPHIGENIA IN DELPHI, with some Translations from the Greek. By
+RICHARD GARNETT, LL.D. Frontispiece.
+
+5. MIREIO: A Provençal Poem. By FREDERIC MISTRAL. Translated by H. W.
+PRESTON. Frontispiece by JOSEPH PENNELL.
+
+6. LYRICS. Selected from the Works of A. MARY F. ROBINSON (Mme. JAMES
+DARMESTETER). Frontispiece.
+
+7. A MINOR POET. By AMY LEVY. With Portrait. Second Edition.
+
+8. CONCERNING CATS: A Book of Verses by many Authors. Edited by GRAHAM
+R. THOMPSON. Illustrated.
+
+9. A CHAPLET FROM THE GREEK ANTHOLOGY. By RICHARD GARNETT, LL.D.
+
+11. THE LOVE SONGS OF ROBERT BURNS. Selected and Edited, with
+Introduction, by Sir GEORGE DOUGLAS, Bart. With Front. Portrait.
+
+12. LOVE SONGS OF IRELAND. Collected and Edited by KATHERINE TYNAN.
+
+13. RETROSPECT, and other Poems. By A. MARY F. ROBINSON (Mme.
+DARMESTETER), Author of "An Italian Garden," &c.
+
+14. BRAND: A Dramatic Poem. By HENRIK IBSEN. Translated by F. EDMUND
+GARRETT.
+
+15. THE SON OF DON JUAN. By DON JOSÉ ECHEGARAY. Translated into English,
+with biographical introduction, by JAMES GRAHAM. With Etched Portrait of
+the Author by DON B. MAURA.
+
+16. MARIANA. By DON JOSÉ ECHEGARAY. Translated into English by JAMES
+GRAHAM. With a Photogravure of a recent Portrait of the Author.
+
+17. FLAMMA VESTALIS, and other Poems. By EUGENE MASON. Frontispiece
+after Sir EDWARD BURNE-JONES.
+
+
+  THE MERMAID SERIES
+
+THE BEST PLAYS OF THE OLD DRAMATISTS. LITERAL REPRODUCTIONS OF THE OLD
+TESTAMENT.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_Post 8vo., each Volume containing about 500 pages, and an etched
+Frontispiece, cloth_, 3s. 6d. _each_.
+
+
+1. THE BEST PLAYS OF CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE. Edited by HAVELOCK ELLIS, and
+containing a General Introduction to the Series by JOHN ADDINGTON
+SYMONDS.
+
+2. THE BEST PLAYS OF THOMAS OTWAY. Introduction by the Hon. RODEN NOEL.
+
+3. THE BEST PLAYS OF JOHN FORD.--Edited by HAVELOCK ELLIS.
+
+4 and 5. THE BEST PLAYS OF THOMAS MASSINGER. Essay and Notes by ARTHUR
+SYMONS.
+
+6. THE BEST PLAYS OF THOMAS HEYWOOD. Edited by A. W. VERITY.
+Introduction by J. A. SYMONDS.
+
+7. THE COMPLETE PLAYS OF WILLIAM WYCHERLEY. Edited by W. C. WARD.
+
+8. NERO, and other Plays. Edited by H. P. HORNE, ARTHUR SYMONS, A. W.
+VERITY, and H. ELLIS.
+
+9 and 10. THE BEST PLAYS OF BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER. Introduction by J.
+ST. LOE STRACHEY.
+
+11. THE COMPLETE PLAYS OF WILLIAM CONGREVE. Edited by ALEX. C. EWALD.
+
+12. THE BEST PLAYS OF WEBSTER TOURNEUR. Introduction by J. ADDINGTON
+SYMONDS.
+
+13 and 14. THE BEST PLAYS OF THOMAS HIDDLETON. Introduction by ALGERNON
+CHARLES SWINBURN.
+
+15. THE BEST PLAYS OF JAMES STANLEY. Introduction by EDWARD GOSSE.
+
+16. THE BEST PLAYS OF THOMAS DEKKER. Notes by ERNEST RHYS.
+
+17, 19, and 20. THE BEST PLAYS OF BEN JONSON, Vol. I. edited, with
+Introduction and Notes, by BRINSLEY NICHOLSON and C. H. HEREFORD.
+
+18. THE COMPLETE PLAYS OF RICHARD STEELE. Edited, with Introduction and
+Notes, by G. A. AITKEEN.
+
+21. THE BEST PLAYS OF GEORGE CHAPMAN. Edited by WILLIAM LYON PHELPS,
+Instructor of English Literature at Yale College.
+
+22. THE SELECT PLAYS OF SIR JOHN VANBRUGH. Edited, with an introduction
+and Notes, by A. E H. SWAEN.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_PRESS OPINIONS._
+
+"Even the professed scholar with a good library at his command will find
+texts here not otherwise easily accessible; while the humbler student of
+slender resources, who knows the bitterness of not being able to possess
+himself of the treasure stored in expensive folios or quartos long out
+of print, will assuredly rise up and thank Mr. Unwin."--_St. James's
+Gazette._
+
+"Resumed under good auspices."--_Saturday Review._
+
+"The issue is as good as it could be."--_British Weekly._
+
+"At once scholarly and interesting."--_Leeds Mercury._
+
+
+  LITTLE NOVELS
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_Demy 8vo., printed in bold type, paper covers,_ 6d.; _cloth_, 1s.
+
+
+   1. THE WORLD IS ROUND. By LOUISE MACK.
+   2. NO PLACE FOR REPENTANCE. By ELLEN F. PINSENT.
+   3. THE PROBLEM OF PREJUDICE. By Mrs. VERE CAMPBELL.
+   4. MARGARET GREY. By H. BARTON BAKER.
+   5. A PAINTER'S HONEYMOON. By MILDRED SHENSTONE.
+   6. THE BOND OF BLOOD. By R. E. FORREST.
+   7. A SLIGHT INDISCRETION. By Mrs. EDWARD CARTWRIGHT.
+   8. A COMEDY OF THREE. By NEWTON SANDERS.
+   9. PASSPORTS. By I. J. ARMSTRONG.
+  10. A NOBLE HAUL. By W. CLARK RUSSELL.
+  11. ON THE GOGMAGOGS. By ALICE DUMILLO.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_PRESS NOTICES._
+
+"Novel sets are many, but Mr. Fisher Unwin has begun a new one that for
+prettiness, type and cheapness will take front rank.... These little
+novels, which are very prettily bound for a shilling, and in paper at
+sixpence each, will--if we mistake not--equal the 'Pseudonyms' in
+popularity."--_Vanity Fair._
+
+"Mr. Unwin's newest series of 'Little Novels,' printed in strong black
+type on pleasant paper.... promises to be as good, if not better than
+any of the preceding ones.... The first book in the series is an
+extremely clever and original story of Australian society."--_Guardian._
+
+"Are readable.... They promise well for the success of the series they
+begin." _Scotsman._
+
+"The 'Little Novels' series starts well with this Australian story ('The
+World is Round').... Miss Mack's account of Sydney life is
+vivacious.... The two women she describes are brought before us with
+ability. Much of the dialogue, and certainly a letter from the Bush,
+deserves praise."--_Glasgow Herald._
+
+"If Mr. Fisher Unwin's 'Little Novels' series produces many works of the
+quintessential power of 'No Place for Repentance,' it will outweigh in
+all but bulk whole shelves of Mudie's fiction."--_Illustrated London
+News._
+
+"We do not apologise for telling the story of this little book, 'The
+Bond of Blood,' and giving long extracts from it. It is worth reading
+even when one knows all that is coming; for it is excellently told, with
+concentrated force, great simplicity, and a very remarkable attention to
+illustrative detail."--_Spectator._
+
+"A cheap and excellent series."--_St. James's Budget._
+
+"Well bound, well printed, and exceptionally low in price."--_Glasgow
+Herald._
+
+
+  The CHILDREN'S LIBRARY
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_Illustrated. Post 8vo., pinafore cloth binding, floral edges_, 2s 6d.
+_each_.
+
+
+1. THE BROWN OWL. By FORD H. HUEFFER. Illustrated by MADOX BROWN.
+
+2. THE CHINA CUP. By FELIX VOLKHOVSKY. Illustrated by MALISCHEFF.
+
+3. STORIES FROM FAIRYLAND. By GEORGES DROSINES. Illustrated by THOS.
+RILEY.
+
+4. THE STORY OF A PUPPET. By C. CULLODI. Translated from the Italian by
+M. A. MURRAY. Illustrated by G. MAZZANTI.
+
+5. THE LITTLE PRINCESS. By LINA ECKENSTEIN. Illustrated by DUDLEY HEATH.
+
+6. TALES FROM THE MABINOGIER. By META WILLIAMS.
+
+7. IRISH FAIRY TALES. Edited by W. B. YEATS. Illustrated by JACK B.
+YEATS.
+
+8. AN ENCHANTED GARDEN. By Mrs. MOLESWORTH. Illustrated by J. W.
+HENESSEY.
+
+9. LA BELLE NIVERNAISE. By ALPHONSE DAUDET. Illustrated by MONTEGUT.
+
+10. THE FEATHER. By FORD H. HUEFFER. Frontispiece by MADOX BROWN.
+
+11. FINN AND HIS COMPANIONS. By STANDISH O'GRADY, Author of "Red Hugh's
+Captivity," &c., Illustrated by J. B. YEATS.
+
+12. NUTCRACKER AND MOUSE KING and other Stories. By E. T. A. HOFFMANN.
+Translated from the German by ASCOTT R. HOPE.
+
+13. ONCE UPON A TIME: Fairy Tales. Translated from the Italian by LUIGI
+CAPUANA. With Illustrations by C. MAZZANTI.
+
+14. THE PENTAMERONE; or, The Story of Stories. By GIAMBATTISTA BASILE.
+Translated from the Neapolitan by JOHN EDWARD TAYLOR. New Edition,
+revised and edited by HELEN ZIMMERN. Illustrated by GEORGE CRUIKSHANK.
+
+15. FINNISH LEGENDS. Adapted by R. EIVIND. Illustrated from the Finnish
+Text.
+
+16. THE POPE'S MULE, and other Stories. By ALPHONSE DAUDET. Translated
+by A. D. BEAVINGTON-ATKINSON and D. HAVERS. Illustrated by ETHEL K.
+MARTYN.
+
+17. THE LITTLE GLASS MAN, and other Stories. Translated from the German
+of WILHELM HAUFFMAN. Illustrated by JAMES PRYDE.
+
+18. ROBINSON CRUSOE. By DANIEL DEFOE.
+
+19. THE MAGIC OAK TREE, and other Fairy Stories. By KNATCHBULL HUGESSEN
+(Lord BRABOURNE) Author of "Prince Mangold," "Queer Folk," &c.
+
+20. PAX AND CARLINO. By ERNEST BECKMAN.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_SOME PRESS NOTICES._
+
+"Happy children who are to own books as pretty and portable as this is."
+_Saturday Review._
+
+"The delightful 'Children's Library.'"--_National Observer._
+
+"The binding and printing are simply exquisite."--_Vanity Fair._
+
+"What a dainty little blue book!"--_Whitehall Review._
+
+"Prettily got up."--_Times._
+
+"Fascinating in appearance."--_Athenæum._
+
+"Very daintily printed and bound."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+"One of the prettiest books ever trusted to a child's hand."--_Queen._
+
+"Altogether agreeable to the eye."--_Globe._
+
+"Exquisite and dainty."--_British Weekly._
+
+"Very dainty and unique."--_Review of Reviews._
+
+"All the books are delightfully illustrated."--_Bookseller._
+
+"With every advantage that a dainty binding excellent paper, and
+admirable printing can bestow."--_Guardian._
+
+
+  THE AUTONYM LIBRARY
+
+(Uniform in style and price with the "Pseudonym Library.")
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_Paper_, 1s. 6d. _each_; _cloth_, 2s. _each_.
+
+
+   1. THE UPPER BERTH. By F. MARION CRAWFORD. Fourth Edition.
+   2. MAD SIR UCHTRED OF THE HILLS. By S. R. CROCKETT. Third Edition.
+   3. BY REEF AND PALM. By LOUIS BECKE. Third Edition.
+   4. THE PLAY-ACTRESS. By S. R. CROCKETT. Fifth Edition.
+   5. A BACHELOR MAID. By Mrs. BURTON HARRISON.
+   6. MISERRIMA. By G. W. T. OMOND.
+   7. THE TWO STRANGERS. By Mrs. OLIPHANT.
+   8. ANOTHER WICKED WOMAN. By G. S. GRANT-FORBES.
+   9. THE SPECTRE OF STRATHANNAN. By W. E. NORRIS.
+  10. KAFIR STORIES. By W. C. SCULLY.
+  11. MOLLY DARLING! And other Stories. By Mrs. HUNGERFORD.
+  12. A GAME OF CONSEQUENCES. By ALBERT KINROSS.
+  13. SLEEPING FIRES. By GEORGE GISSING.
+  14. THE RED STAR. By L. MCMANUS.
+  15. A MARRIAGE BY CAPTURE. By ROBERT BUCHANAN.
+  16. LEAVES FROM THE LIFE OF AN EMINENT FOSSIL. By W. DUTTON BURRARD.
+  17. AN IMPOSSIBLE PERSON. By CONSTANCE COTTERELL.
+  18. WHICH IS ABSURD. By COSMO HAMILTON.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_PRESS NOTICES._
+
+"Very dainty and pleasing in appearance."--_Glasgow Herald._
+
+"Well printed and nicely got up."--_Queen._
+
+"The volumes promise to be as handy in shape and size as those of the
+original series; the printing is excellent, the paper is good, and the
+external appearance is neat and attractive."--_Athenæum._
+
+"If 'The Autonym Library' keeps up to the pitch of excellence attained
+by the first volume its success is assured."--_Speaker._
+
+
+  THE STORY OF
+  THE NATIONS
+
+A SERIES OF POPULAR HISTORIES.
+
+
+_Each Volume is furnished with Maps, Illustrations, and Index. Large
+Crown 8vo., fancy cloth, gold lettered, or Library Edition, dark cloth,
+burnished red top,_ 5s. _each.--Or may be had in half Persian, cloth
+sides, gilt tops; Price on Application._
+
+
+   1. ROME. By ARTHUR GILMAN, M.A.
+   2. THE JEWS. By Professor J. K. HOSMER.
+   3. GERMANY. By the Rev. S. BARING-GOULD.
+   4. CARTHAGE. By Professor ALFRED J. CHURCH.
+   5. ALEXANDER'S EMPIRE. By Prof. J. P. MAHAFFY.
+   6. THE MOORS IN SPAIN. By STANLEY LANE-POOLE.
+   7. ANCIENT EGYPT. By Prof. GEORGE RAWLINSON.
+   8. HUNGARY. By Prof. ARMINIUS VAMBERY.
+   9. THE SARACENS. By ARTHUR GILMAN, M.A.
+  10. IRELAND. By the Hon. EMILY LAWLESS.
+  11. CHALDEA. By ZENAIDE A. RAGOZIN.
+  12. THE GOTHS. By HENRY BRADLEY.
+  13. ASSYRIA. By ZENAIDE A. RAGOZIN.
+  14. TURKEY. By STANLEY LANE-POOLE.
+  15. HOLLAND. By Professor J. E. THOROLD ROGERS.
+  16. MEDIÆVAL FRANCE. By GUSTAVE MASSON.
+  17. PERSIA. By S. G. W. BENJAMIN.
+  18. PHOENICIA. By Prof. GEORGE RAWLINSON.
+  19. MEDIA. By ZENAIDE A. RAGOZIN.
+  20. THE HANSA TOWNS. By HELEN ZIMMERN.
+  21. EARLY BRITAIN. By Professor ALFRED J. CHURCH.
+  22. THE BARBARY CORSAIRS. By STANLEY LANE-POOLE.
+  23. RUSSIA. By W. R. MORFILL.
+  24. THE JEWS UNDER THE ROMAN EMPIRE. By W. D. MORRISON.
+  25. SCOTLAND, By JOHN MACKINTOSH, LL.D.
+  26. SWITZERLAND. By R. STEAD and LINA HUG.
+  27. MEXICO. By SUSAN HALE.
+  28. PORTUGAL. By H. MORSE STEPHENS.
+  29. THE NORMANS. By SARAH ORNE JEWETT.
+  30. THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE. By C. W. C. OMAN, M.A.
+  31. SICILY: PHOENICIAN, GREEK AND ROMAN. By the late E. A. FREEMAN.
+  32. THE TUSCAN AND GENOA REPUBLICS. By BELLA DUFFY.
+  33. POLAND. By W. R. MORFILL.
+  34. PARTHIA. By Prof. GEORGE RAWLINSON.
+  35. THE AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH. By GREVILLE TREGARTHEN.
+  36. SPAIN. By H. E. WATTS.
+  37. JAPAN. By DAVID MURRAY, Ph.D.
+  38. SOUTH AFRICA. By GEORGE M. THEAL.
+  39. VENICE. By the Hon. ALETHEA WIEL.
+  40. THE CRUSADES: The Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. By T. A. ARCHER and
+      CHARLES L. KINGSFORD.
+  41. VEDIC INDIA. By ZENAIDE A. RAGOZIN.
+  42. THE WEST INDIES AND THE SPANISH MAIN. By JAMES RODWAY, F.L.S.
+  43. BOHEMIA. By C. E. MAURICE.
+  44. THE BALKANS. By W. MILLER.
+  45. CANADA. By Dr. BOURINOT.
+  46. BRITISH INDIA. By R. W. FRAZER, LL.B.
+  47. MODERN FRANCE. By ANDRÉ LE BON.
+      THE FRANKS. By LEWIS SERGEANT, B.A.
+
+"Such a universal history as the series will present us with in its
+completion will be a possession such as no country but our own can boast
+of.... Its success on the whole has been very remarkable."--_Daily
+Chronicle._
+
+
+  +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
+  |                                                                    |
+  | Transcriber's notes: Obvious spelling/typographical and            |
+  | punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison    |
+  | with other occurrences within the text and consultation of         |
+  | external sources.                                                  |
+  |                                                                    |
+  | The text is a compilation of previously published articles.        |
+  |                                                                    |
+  | Inconsistent spelling and inline hyphenation occurs across         |
+  | chapters and is retained.                                          |
+  |  "meal-worm[s]" occurs four times, "mealworm[s]" thirteen times    |
+  |  "re-appeared" occurs once and reappeared" occurs three times      |
+  |                                                                    |
+  | Page 3: The signature date 1800 is clear error, 1898 is likely     |
+  |         correct.                                                   |
+  | Page 28, 29: "I used still to to", extra "to" removed.             |
+  | Page 158: Small ligature oe transcribed as oe in "Scaraboeus".     |
+  | Last Pub. Page: Last entry "The Franks" unnumbered, retained.      |
+  |                                                                    |
+  +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Wild Nature Won By Kindness, by Elizabeth Brightwen
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+
+Project Gutenberg's Wild Nature Won By Kindness, by Elizabeth Brightwen
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Wild Nature Won By Kindness
+
+Author: Elizabeth Brightwen
+
+Illustrator: Elizabeth Brightwen
+
+Release Date: April 16, 2007 [EBook #21111]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WILD NATURE WON BY KINDNESS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Joe Longo and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+<div class="main">
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 528px; padding-top: 1em">
+<img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Cover" title="Cover" width="528" height="744" />
+</div>
+
+<div class="newchap">
+<h2 style="margin-top: 5em; margin-bottom: 5em"><i>WILD NATURE WON BY KINDNESS.</i></h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="newchap">
+<div class='center'>
+<table style="margin-top: 5em; margin-bottom: 5em" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="Other books" border="1">
+<tr><td>
+<br /><br />
+<i>BY THE SAME AUTHOR.</i>
+<br />
+<hr class="minor" />
+<p class="pub">
+<b>More about Wild Nature.</b> With Portrait<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em">of the Author and many other full-page Illustrations.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em">Crown 8vo, imitation leather gilt, gilt edges, in box, 5s.</span>
+</p>
+<hr class="minor" />
+<p class="pub">
+<b>Inmates of my House and Garden.</b><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em">With 32 Illustrations by Theo Carreras. Uniform with</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em">above, 5s.</span>
+</p>
+<span style="font-size: small">ALSO</span>
+<p class="pub">
+<b>Glimpses into Plant Life.</b> Fully Illustrated.<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em">Crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.</span>
+</p>
+</td></tr>
+</table></div>
+</div>
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1"></a></span></p>
+<div class='center' style="margin-top: 3em">
+<table width="450" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="Title page" border="1">
+<tr><td>
+
+<p class="titleblock" style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 20px; word-spacing: 0.25em; letter-spacing: 0.15em; font-size: 215%">WILD NATURE</p>
+<p class="titleblock" style="margin-bottom: 50px; word-spacing: 0.5em; letter-spacing: 0.25em; font-size: 155%">WON BY KINDNESS</p>
+
+<p class="titleblock" style="font-size: 50%">BY</p>
+<p class="titleblock" style="font-size: 120%">MRS. BRIGHTWEN</p>
+
+<p class="titleblock" style="font-size: 72%"><i>Vice-President of the Selborne Society</i></p>
+<p class="titleblock" style="letter-spacing: 0.05em; font-size: 45%">AUTHOR OF "INMATES OF MY HOUSE AND GARDEN," ETC.</p>
+
+<p class="titleblock" style="letter-spacing: 0.05em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 40px; font-size: 80%"><i>ILLUSTRATED</i></p>
+
+<p class="titleblock" style="margin-bottom: 37px; margin-top: 10px; font-size: 80%">EIGHTH EDITION</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 93px; padding-top: 1em">
+<img src="images/ornate-london.png" alt="London" title="London" width="93" height="25" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="titleblock" style="word-spacing: 0.5em; letter-spacing: 0.25em; font-size: 110%">T. FISHER UNWIN</p>
+<p class="titleblock" style="letter-spacing: 0.05em; font-size: 75%">PATERNOSTER SQUARE</p>
+<p class="titleblock" style="margin-bottom: 40px; letter-spacing: 0.05em; font-size: 75%">1898</p>
+
+</td></tr>
+</table></div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2"></a></span></p>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class='center' style="margin-bottom: 25px; margin-top: 25px"><i>All rights reserved.</i></p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="newchap">
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3"></a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 40px; padding-top: 1em">
+<img src="images/ornate-to.png" alt="To" title="To" width="40" height="33" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="smcap" style="font-size: 120%">Sir</span> JAMES PAGET, <span class="smcap">Bart., F.R.S., D.C.L., Etc., Etc.</span></p>
+
+<p><span class="smcap" style="margin-left: 2em; line-height: 1.0">My dear Sir James</span>,&mdash;<br />
+
+<span style="margin-left: 4em; line-height: 1.0">The little papers which are here reprinted would scarcely</span>
+have been written but for the encouragement of your sympathy and the
+stimulus of what you have contributed to the loving study of nature.
+Shall you, then, think me presumptuous if I venture to dedicate to the
+friend what I could never dream of presenting to the professor, and if
+I ask you to pardon the poorness of the gift in consideration of the
+sincerity with which it is given.</p>
+
+<p style="line-height: 1.0;" class="right">
+<span style="margin-right: 9em">
+                           Pray believe me to be</span><br />
+<span style="margin-right: 6em">Yours very sincerely,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-right: 3em"> ELIZA BRIGHTWEN</span><br />
+</p>
+<p style="line-height: 1.0">
+ <span class="smcap">The Grove, Great Stanmore.</span><br />
+  <span style="margin-left: 3.5em"><i>June, <ins class="transcriber"
+ title="Transcriber's note: original reads 1800. 1898 seems likely date, same as publication year.">1898</ins></i>.</span>
+</p>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4"></a></span></p>
+
+<p class="newchap" style="margin-bottom: 3em"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">p. 5</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 311px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-001" id="illus-001"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p5.png" alt="FLYING WILD DUCK" title="FLYING WILD DUCK" width="311" height="211" />
+</div>
+
+<h2><a name="Contents" id="Contents"></a>TABLE OF CONTENTS.</h2>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 74px; padding-top: 1em">
+<img src="images/line.png" alt="" title="" width="74" height="12" />
+</div>
+<div class="smcap">
+<table border="0" width="75%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents">
+<col style="width:85%;" />
+<col style="width:15%;" />
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">INTRODUCTION.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#INTRODUCTION.">11</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">&nbsp;&nbsp;1. REARING BIRDS FROM THE NEST.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#REARING_BIRDS_FROM_THE_NEST.">18</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">&nbsp;&nbsp;2. DICK THE STARLING.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#DICK_THE_STARLING.">21</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">&nbsp;&nbsp;3. RICHARD THE SECOND.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#RICHARD_THE_SECOND.">25</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">&nbsp;&nbsp;4. VERDANT.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#VERDANT.">44</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">&nbsp;&nbsp;5. THE WILD DUCKS.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#THE_WILD_DUCKS.">51</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">&nbsp;&nbsp;6. THE JAY.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#THE_JAY.">59</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">&nbsp;&nbsp;7. A YOUNG CUCKOO.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#A_YOUNG_CUCKOO.">67</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">&nbsp;&nbsp;8. THE TAMING OF OUR PETS.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#THE_TAMING_OF_OUR_PETS.">70</a></td></tr>
+<tr style="page-break-after: always"><td align="left" class="toc">&nbsp;&nbsp;9. BIRDIE.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#BIRDIE.">80</a>
+       <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">p. 6</a></span></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">10. Z&Ouml;E, THE NUTHATCH.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#ZOE_THE_NUTHATCH.">87</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">11. TITMICE.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#TITMICE.">99</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">12. BLANCHE, THE PIGEON.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#BLANCHE_THE_PIGEON.">108</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">13. GERBILLES.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#GERBILLES.">112</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">14. WATER SHREWS.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#WATER_SHREWS.">121</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">15. SQUIRRELS.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#SQUIRRELS.">126</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">16. A MOLE.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#A_MOLE.">131</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">17. HARVEST MICE.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#HARVEST_MICE.">136</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">18. THE CALIFORNIAN MOUSE.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a class="toc" href="#THE_CALIFORNIAN_MOUSE.">140</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">19. SANCHO THE TOAD.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#SANCHO_THE_TOAD.">143</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">20. ROMAN SNAILS.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#ROMAN_SNAILS.">146</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">21. AN EARWIG MOTHER.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#AN_EARWIG_MOTHER.">152</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">22. THE SACRED BEETLE.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#THE_SACRED_BEETLE.">157</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">23. SPIDERS.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#SPIDERS.">163</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">24. TAME BUTTERFLIES.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#TAME_BUTTERFLIES.">173</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">25. ANT-LIONS.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#ANT-LIONS.">178</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">26. ROBINS I HAVE KNOWN.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#ROBINS_I_HAVE_KNOWN.">183</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">27. ROBERT THE SECOND.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#ROBERT_THE_SECOND.">188</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">28. FEEDING BIRDS IN SUMMER</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#FEEDING_BIRDS_IN_SUMMER">195</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">29. RAB, MINOR.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#RAB_MINOR.">202</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">30. A VISIT TO JAMRACH.</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#A_VISIT_TO_JAMRACH.">207</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">31. HOW TO OBSERVE NATURE</td><td align="right" class="toc"><a href="#HOW_TO_OBSERVE_NATURE">214</a></td></tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+<p style="page-break-before: always; margin-bottom: 3em"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">p. 7</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 554px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-002" id="illus-002"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p7.png" alt="SACRED BEETLE" title="SACRED BEETLE" width="554" height="306" />
+</div>
+
+<h2><a name="Illustrations" id="Illustrations"></a>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 74px; padding-top: 1em">
+<img src="images/line.png" alt="" title="" width="74" height="12" />
+</div>
+<div class="smcap">
+<table border="0" width="75%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="Illustrations">
+<col style="width:80%;" />
+<col style="width:20%;" />
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">FLYING WILD DUCK</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-001">5</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">SACRED BEETLE</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-002">7</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">SWALLOW</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-003">11</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">REARING BIRDS FROM THE NEST</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-004">18</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">STARLINGS</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-007">21</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">FLYING STARLINGS</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-008">25</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">STARLING IN SEARCH OF FOOD</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-009">43</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">WILD DUCK</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-012">51</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">TINY, SIR FRANCIS DRAKE AND LUTHER</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-013">58</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">JAY</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-014">59</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">ANOTHER JAY</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-015">61</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">A YOUNG CUCKOO.</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-017">66</a><span class='pagenum' style="text-indent: 0em;"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">p. 8</a></span></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">BUTTERFLY AND CATERPILLAR</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-018">67</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">YOUNG CUCKOO ATTACKED BY BIRDS</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-019">69</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">ARABESQUE</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-021">79</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">Z&Ouml;E, THE NUTHATCH</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-024">87</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">NUTHATCH IN A COCOANUT</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-025">98</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">TITMICE IN PURSUIT OF BEES</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-026">99</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">TITMICE</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-027">101</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">BLANCHE THE PIGEON</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-029">108</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">GERBILLES</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-030">112</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">WATER SHREW</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-033">125</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">SQUIRREL</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-034">126</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">MOLE</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-036">131</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">MICE</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-038">140</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">ROMAN SNAILS</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-042">146</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">EARWIG</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-045">156</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">EGYPTIAN BEETLES</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-046">157</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">FLYING BEETLE</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-047">162</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-048">163</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">BUTTERFLY</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-050">173</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">ANT-LION</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-051">178</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">THE ROBIN</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-052">183</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">YOUNG BIRDS</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-056">195</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">CHILD AND PET BIRD</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-057">201</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">RAB MINOR</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-058">202</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">RAB MINOR RUNNING</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-059">206</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">NESTLINGS</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-060">207</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">NEST OF WASPS</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-062">214</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align="left" class="toc">SNAKE IN A CIRCLE</td><td align="right" valign="top" class="toc"><a href="#illus-063">230</a></td></tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+<p class="newchap" style="margin-bottom: 3em"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">p. 9</a></span></p>
+<h4>PREFACE TO THE FIFTH<br />EDITION.</h4>
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-t-p9.png" alt="T" title="T" width="80" height="116"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+<div style="width: 68px"></div>
+<div style="width: 68px"></div>
+<div style="width: 62px"></div>
+<div style="width: 55px"></div>
+<div style="width: 35px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ WO short chapters, one describing the
+life of an Ant-lion, and the other
+the habits of a tame Toad, were added
+to the second edition, which was in other
+respects a reproduction of the first.</p></div>
+
+<p>The present edition has been improved by the
+adoption of a number of illustrations which were
+designed for the German translation of this book.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">p. 10</a></span></p>
+
+<p class="newchap" style="margin-bottom: 3em"><br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">p. 11</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 317px; padding-top: 1em">
+<a name="illus-003" id="illus-003"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p11.png" alt="SWALLOW" title="SWALLOW" width="317" height="165" />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="INTRODUCTION." id="INTRODUCTION."></a>
+<h2>INTRODUCTION.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-i-intro.png" alt="I" title="I" width="63" height="100"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+    <div style="width: 67px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 63px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 55px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 27px; height: 9px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ HAVE often wished I could convey to
+others a little of the happiness I have
+enjoyed all through my life in the
+study of Natural History. During
+twenty years of variable health, the companionship
+of the animal world has been my constant
+solace and delight. To keep my own
+memory fresh, in the first instance, and afterwards
+with a distinct intention of repeating my single
+experiences to others, I have kept notes of whatever
+has seemed to me worthy of record in the life
+of my pets. Some of these papers have already
+appeared in <i>The Animal World</i>; the majority are
+now printed for the first time.</p></div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">p. 12</a></span></p>
+<p>In the following chapters I shall try to have
+quiet talks with my readers and tell them in a
+simple way about the many pleasant friendships
+I have had with animals, birds, and insects. I use
+the word friendships advisedly, because truly to
+know and enjoy the society of a pet creature you
+must make it feel that you are, or wish to be, its
+friend, one to whom it can always look for food,
+shelter, and solace; it must be at ease and at home
+with you before its instincts and curious ways will
+be shown. Sometimes when friends have wished
+me to see their so-called "pet," some scared animal
+or poor fluttering bird has been brought, for whom
+my deepest sympathy has been excited; and yet
+there may have been perhaps the kindest desire to
+make the creature happy, food provided in abundance,
+and a pleasant home; but these alone will not
+avail. For lack of the quiet gentle treatment which
+is so requisite, the poor little captive will possibly
+be miserable, pining for liberty, hating its prison,
+dreading the visits of its jailor, and so harassed in
+its terror that in some cases the poor little heart
+is broken, and in a few hours death is the result.
+In the following simple sketches of animal, bird,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">p. 13</a></span>
+and insect life, I have tried to show how confidence
+must be gained, and the little wild heart won by
+quiet and unvarying kindness, and also by the
+endeavour to imitate as much as possible the
+natural surroundings of its own life before its
+capture. I must confess it requires a large fund
+of patience to tame any wild creature, and it is
+rarely possible to succeed unless one's efforts begin
+in its very early days, before it has known the
+sweets of liberty.</p>
+
+<p>In many cases I have kept a wild animal or bird
+for a few days to learn something of its ways,
+possibly to make a drawing of its attitudes or
+plumage, and then let it go, else nearly all my
+pets, except imported creatures, have been reared
+from infancy, an invalid's life and wakefulness
+making early-morning feeding of young fledglings
+less difficult than it would have been in many
+cases, and often have painful hours been made
+bearable and pleasant by the interest arising from
+careful observation of the habits and ways of some
+new pet animal or bird.</p>
+
+<p>I have always strongly maintained that the love
+of animated nature should be fostered far more<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">p. 14</a></span>
+than it usually is, and especially in the minds of
+the young; and that, in fact, we lose an immense
+amount of enjoyment by passing through life as so
+many do without a spark of interest in the marvellous
+world of nature, that book whose pages are
+ever lying open before us.</p>
+
+<p>The beauties of the country might as well have
+been left uncreated for all the interest that thousands
+take in them. Not only town dwellers, who
+might be excused for their ignorance, but those
+who live in the midst of fields and woods, often
+know so little about the curious creatures in fur
+and feathers that exist around them that they are
+surprised when told the simplest facts about these,
+their near neighbours.</p>
+
+<p>One reason may be, that it is now so much the
+fashion to spend the year in various places, and
+those always moving about have neither the time
+nor opportunity to cultivate the little undergrowths
+of quiet pleasures which spring out of a settled
+home in the country, with its well-tended garden
+and farmyard, greenhouses, stable, and fields&mdash;the
+horses and cattle, petted and kindly cared for from
+their birth, dogs and poultry, and all kinds of
+special favourites.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">p. 15</a></span></p>
+<p>There is a healthy, happy tone about such a life,
+and where it exists and is rightly maintained, good
+influence is, or ought to be, felt in and around the
+home. Almost all children have a natural love of
+living creatures, and if they are told interesting
+facts about them they soon become ardent naturalists.
+I well remember that in my childhood I
+had a great dread of toads and frogs, and a relative,
+to whom I owe much for having directed my mind
+into the love of animated nature, took up a frog in
+her hand and made me look at the beautiful gold
+circle round its eyes, its curious webbed feet, its
+leaping power arising from the long hind legs; she
+told me also of its wonderful tongue, so long and
+flexible that it folded back in its mouth, and that
+the frog would sit at the edge of an ant-hill and
+throwing out the tongue with its sticky point,
+would pick off the ants one by one as they came
+out. When I learnt all this, I began to watch
+such a curious reptile; my fears vanished, and like
+Kingsley's little daughter, who had been wisely led
+to care for all living things and came running to
+show her father a "dear delightful worm" she had
+found! so I, too, have been led all through my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">p. 16</a></span>
+life to regard every created thing, great or small,
+attractive or otherwise, as an object well worth the
+most reverent study.</p>
+
+<p>Perhaps I ought to explain that I have described
+methods of taming, feeding, and housing one's pets
+with extreme minuteness in order to help those of
+my readers who may be very fond of live creatures,
+and yet from lack of opportunity may have gained
+no knowledge of their mode of life, and what is
+required to keep them happily in health and vigour.
+I have had to learn by experience that attention to
+very small details is the road to success in keeping
+pets as well as in other things, and the desire to
+pass on that experience must be my excuse to
+more scientific readers for seeming triviality.</p>
+
+<p>Many admirable books have been written by
+those well qualified to impart their knowledge in
+every branch of Natural History, and the more such
+books are read the better, but the following pages
+simply contain the life histories of my pets and what
+I personally have observed about them. I shall be
+glad indeed if they supply any useful information,
+or lead others to the more careful study of the common
+every-day things around them with a view to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">p. 17</a></span>
+more kindness being shown to all living creatures,
+and tender consideration for them. I trust I may
+feel that this little book will then have attained its
+purpose. May it especially tend to lead the young
+to see how this beautiful world is full of wonders of
+every kind, full of evidences of the Great Creator's
+wisdom and skill in adapting each created thing to
+its special purpose, and from the whole realm of
+nature may they be taught lessons in parables, and
+their hearts be led upward to God Himself, who
+made all things to reflect His own perfection and
+glory.</p>
+
+<table border="0" width="75%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<tr><td>
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Gem, flower, and fish, the bird, the brute,</span><br />
+<span class="i2">Of every kind occult or known</span><br />
+<span class="i0">(Each exquisitely form'd to suit</span><br />
+<span class="i2">Its humble lot, and that alone),</span><br />
+<span class="i0">Through ocean, earth, and air fulfil</span><br />
+<span class="i0">Unconsciously their Maker's will."</span>
+</div></div>
+<p class="right">ELIZA BRIGHTWEN.</p>
+</td></tr></table>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 260px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-004" id="illus-004"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p17.png" alt="" title="" width="260" height="74" />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">p. 18</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 386px; padding-top: 1em">
+<a name="illus-005" id="illus-005"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p18.png" alt="REARING BIRDS FROM THE NEST" title="REARING BIRDS FROM THE NEST" width="386" height="231" />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="REARING_BIRDS_FROM_THE_NEST." id="REARING_BIRDS_FROM_THE_NEST."></a>
+<h2>REARING BIRDS FROM THE<br />NEST.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-t-p18.png" alt="T" title="T" width="80" height="116"></img>
+ <div class="shape_wrap">
+  <div style="width: 68px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 68px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 55px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 35px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ HE most delightful of all pets are the
+birds one has taken the pains to rear
+from the nest; they never miss the
+freedom of outdoor life, they hardly know
+what fear is, they become devotedly attached
+to the one who feeds and educates them,
+and all their winsome ways seem developed by the
+love and care which is given to them.</p></div>
+
+<p>I strongly deprecate a whole nest being taken;
+one would not willingly give the happy little parent<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">p. 19</a></span>
+birds the distress of finding an empty home. After
+all their trouble in building, laying, sitting, and
+hatching, surely they deserve the reward of bringing
+up their little babes.</p>
+
+<p>Too often when boys thus take a nest they simply
+let the young birds starve to death from ignorance
+as to their proper food and not rising early enough
+to feed them.</p>
+
+<p>It is a different matter if, out of a family of six,
+one takes two to bring up by hand&mdash;the labour of
+the old birds is lightened, and four fledglings will
+sufficiently reward their toil.</p>
+
+<p>The birds should be taken before they are really
+feathered, just when the young quills begin to show,
+as at that stage they will not notice the change in
+their diet and manner of feeding. They need to
+be carefully protected from cold, kept at first in a
+covered basket in flannel, and if the weather is cold
+they should be near a fire, as they miss the warmth
+of the mother bird, especially at night.</p>
+
+<p>I confess it involves a good deal of trouble to
+undertake the care of these helpless little creatures.
+They should be fed every half-hour, from four in
+the morning until late in the evening, and that for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">p. 20</a></span>
+many weeks until they are able to feed themselves.</p>
+
+<p>The kind of food varies according to the bird we
+desire to bring up, and it requires care to make
+sure that it is not too dry or too moist, and that it
+has not become sour, or it will soon prove fatal,
+for young birds have not the sense of older ones&mdash;they
+take blindly whatever is given them.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 308px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-006" id="illus-006"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p20.png" alt="" title="" width="308" height="182" />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">p. 21</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 335px; padding-top: 1em">
+<a name="illus-007" id="illus-007"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p21.png" alt="STARLINGS" title="STARLINGS" width="335" height="210" /><br />
+<span class="caption">STARLINGS.</span>
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="DICK_THE_STARLING." id="DICK_THE_STARLING."></a>
+<h2>DICK THE STARLING.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-f-p21.png" alt="F" title="F" width="70" height="115"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 67px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 60px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 40px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ EW people would think a cat could
+possibly be a tender nurse to young
+birds! but such was really the case
+with a very interesting bird I possessed
+some years ago.</p></div>
+
+<p>A young starling was brought up from the nest
+by the kind care of our cook and the cat! Both
+were equally sympathetic, and pitied the little
+unfledged creature, who was by some accident left
+motherless in his early youth. Cook used to get
+up at some unheard-of hour in the morning to feed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">p. 22</a></span>
+her clamorous pet, and then would bring him down
+with her at breakfast-time and consign him to
+pussy's care; she, receiving him with a gentle purr
+of delight, would let him nestle into her soft fur for
+warmth.</p>
+
+<p>As Dick became feathered, he was allowed
+the run of the house and garden, and used
+to spend an hour or so on the lawn, digging his
+beak into the turf, seeking for worms and grubs,
+and when tired he would fly in at the open window
+and career about until he could perch on my
+shoulder, or go in search of his two foster-mothers
+in the kitchen.</p>
+
+<p>His education was carried on with such success
+that he could soon speak a few words very clearly.
+Strangers used to be rather startled by a weird-looking
+bird flying in from the garden, and saying,
+"Beauty dear, puss, puss, miaow!" But it was
+still more strange to see Dick sitting on the cat's
+back and addressing his endearments to her in the
+above words. Pussy would allow him to investigate
+her fur with exemplary patience, only objecting to
+his inquisitive beak being applied to her eyelids to
+prize them open when she was enjoying her afternoon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">p. 23</a></span>
+nap. Dick's love of water led him to bathe
+in most inconvenient places. One morning, when
+I returned to the dining-room after a few minutes'
+absence, I found him taking headers into a glass
+filter and scattering the contents on the sideboard.
+After dinner, too, he would dive into the finger-glasses
+with the same intention, and when hindered
+in that design would visit the dessert dishes in
+succession, stopping with an emphatic "Beauty
+dear!" at the sight of some coveted dainty, to
+which he would forthwith help himself liberally.</p>
+
+<p>In summer Dick had to resist considerable
+temptation from wild birds of his own kind, who
+evidently made matrimonial overtures to him, but
+though he "camped out" for a few nights now and
+then, he never seemed to find a mate to his mind,
+and elected to remain a bachelor and enjoy our
+society instead of that of his own kith and kin.</p>
+
+<p>Dick was certainly a pattern of industrious
+activity, never still for two minutes. He seemed
+haunted by the idea that caterpillars and grubs
+existed all over the house, and his search for them
+was carried on under all possible circumstances&mdash;every
+plait of one's dress, every button-hole, would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">p. 24</a></span>
+be inquired into by his prying little beak in case
+some choice morsel might chance to be lurking
+there. Dick lived for a few happy years, and then
+his bathing propensities most unhappily led to his
+untimely death. One severely cold day in winter
+he was missed and searched for everywhere, and
+after some hours his poor little body was found
+stiff and cold in a water-tank in the stable-yard,
+where the ice had been broken. He had as usual
+plunged in for a bath, and we can only suppose
+the intense cold had caused an attack of cramp,
+so that he could not get out again, and thus was
+drowned. Many tears were shed for the loss of
+the cheery little bird, who seemed like a bright
+ubiquitous sunbeam about the house, and our only
+consolation was the thought that, as far as we knew,
+he had never had a sorrow in his life, and we can
+only hope that if there are "happy hunting-grounds"
+for birds our Dick may be there, bright
+and happy still.</p>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">p. 25</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 630px; padding-top: 1em">
+<a name="illus-008" id="illus-008"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p29.png" alt="FLYING STARLINGS" title="FLYING STARLINGS" width="630" /><br />
+<span class="caption">FLYING STARLINGS.</span>
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="RICHARD_THE_SECOND." id="RICHARD_THE_SECOND."></a>
+<h2>RICHARD THE SECOND.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-o-p29.png" alt="O" title="O" width="63" height="107"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 66px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 52px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 32px; height: 9px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ N a wet stormy day in May a young
+unfledged bird was blown out of its
+nest and was picked up in a paved
+yard where, somehow, it had fallen
+unhurt.</p></div>
+
+<p>There he was found by my kind-hearted butler,
+who appeared with the little shivering thing in his
+hand to see if I would adopt it. The butler pleaded
+for it, and it squawked its own petition piteously
+enough, but I was far from strong, and I knew at
+what very early hours these young feathered people
+required to be fed. I therefore felt I ought hardly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">p. 26</a></span>
+to give up the time which sometimes brought me
+the precious boon of sleep after a wakeful night.
+Very reluctantly I refused the gift, and felt wretchedly
+hard-hearted in doing so. I will confide to
+my readers that in my secret heart I thought the
+poor orphan was a blackbird or thrush, and they
+are birds I feel ought never to be caged; they pine
+and look so sadly longing for liberty; even their
+song has a minor key of plaintiveness when it
+comes through prison bars, and this feeling helped
+my decision.</p>
+
+<p>A few days after I heard that the birdie was
+adopted in the pantry, and was being fed "in the
+intervals of business." When a few days later I
+was definitely informed that the birdie waif was a
+starling, then I confess I did begin to long for
+another little friend such as my former "Dick" had
+been, and it ended in my receiving Richard the
+Second, as we called him for distinction, into my
+own care and keeping, and month after month I
+was his much-enduring mother. Most fledglings
+are much the same at first; whenever I came in
+sight the gaping beak was ever ready for food,
+and the capacity for receiving it was wonderful.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">p. 27</a></span>
+Richard grew very fast; little quills appeared and
+opened out into feathers; his walking powers
+increased till he could make a tottering run upon
+the carpet; and then he began to object to his
+basket and would have a perch like a grown-up
+bird, practised going to sleep on one leg, which for
+a long time was a downright failure and ended in
+constant tumbles.</p>
+
+<p>He was always out of his cage whilst I was
+dressing, and was full of fun and play, scheming to
+get his bath before I did, and running off with anything
+he could carry. When he was about two
+months old I had to go to Buxton for a month's visit
+and decided that I could not leave Richard behind,
+as he needed constant feeding with little pieces of
+raw meat and was just old enough to miss my
+training and care. He was therefore to make his first
+start as a traveller, in a small cage, papered round
+the sides, the top being left open for light and air.
+He was wonderfully brave and good, very observant
+of everything, and if scared a word from me would
+reassure him, until at last even an express train
+dashing past did not make him start. It was very
+amusing to see the attention bestowed upon him at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">p. 28</a></span>
+the various stations where we had to get out. A
+little crowd would gather round and stare at such
+a self-possessed small bird. I was asked "if it was
+a very rare bird?" It seemed almost absurd to
+have to reply, "No, only a common starling;" but
+people are so accustomed to see a caged pet flutter
+in terror at its unusual surroundings, that my kingly
+Richard rather puzzled his admirers.</p>
+
+<p>When we began life in our apartments, one important
+consideration in the day's proceedings was
+the starling's food. There was no home larder to
+fall back upon, so a daily portion of tender rump-steak
+had to be obtained, to the great amusement
+of the butcher with whom we dealt for our own
+joints.</p>
+
+<p>About this time the plain grey plumage began
+to be varied by two patches of brilliant little purple
+feathers, tipped with greyish-white, which appeared
+on each side of his breast. Some began to peep
+out of his back and head. He moulted his tail,
+and had rich, dark feathers all over, in time, till he
+arrived at being what he was often called, "a perfect
+beauty"&mdash;glossy and brilliant, bronze gold and
+purple, with reflets of rich green, and little specks<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">p. 29</a></span>
+of greyish-white all over his breast; this richness
+of colour, combined with his beautiful sleek shape,
+made Richard a very attractive bird.</p>
+
+<p>When we returned from Buxton, I was so confident
+of the bird's tameness I used to carry him in
+my hand out to the tulip tree, and there I often
+sat and read, while Richard would pry into the
+moss and the bark of the tree, searching for insects,
+and though he could fly well by this time, he did
+not try to do so, but seemed content to keep near
+me.</p>
+
+<p>One morning I heard his first articulate word,
+"Beauty," spoken so clearly it quite startled me.
+I had been diligently teaching him, by constant
+repetition, for many weeks, and by degrees he
+gained the power of speaking one word after
+another, till at last he was able to say, "Little
+beauty," "'Ow de doo?" "Pretty, pretty," "Beauty,
+dear," "Puss, puss," "Miaow," and imitated kissing
+exactly. All this was intermingled with his
+native whistle and sundry inarticulate sounds, intended,
+I suppose, to result in words and sentences
+some day. Whilst talking and singing, his
+head was held very upright, and his wings flapped<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">p. 30</a></span>
+incessantly against his sides, after the manner of
+the wild birds.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing stirred my indignation more keenly
+than the question so often asked, "Have you had
+your starling's tongue slit to make him talk so
+well?" I beg emphatically to entreat all my
+readers to do their utmost to put an end to
+this cruel and perfectly useless custom. My
+bird's talking powers were remarkable, but they
+were the result of his intelligence being drawn
+out and cultivated by constant, loving care, attention
+to his little wants, and being talked to and
+played with, and made into a little feathered friend
+of the family.</p>
+
+<p>Now must be told an episode which cost me no
+little heartache. Richard was out in my room one
+morning as usual, when the room door happening
+to be open, away he flew into the next room, and
+out at an open window into the garden. I saw him
+alight on a tree, but by the time I could reach the
+garden he had gone. I saw a group of starlings in
+a beech tree near by, and another set were chattering
+on the house roof, but there was no telling if
+my Richard was one of them. I called till I was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">p. 31</a></span>
+tired, and continued to do so at intervals all day,
+but no wanderer appeared. His cage had been put
+on the lawn, but to no purpose. I feared I should
+never see my pet again, because I supposed he
+might be lured by the wild birds till he got out of
+hearing of any familiar voice. I confess it was hard
+to think of my bright young birdie starving under
+some hedge, for I felt sure he was too much of a
+gentleman from his artificial bringing-up to be able
+to earn his own living. All I could do was to
+resolve to be up very early next day, and call again
+and again, on the chance of his being within hearing.
+Before six o'clock next morning I was seeking
+the truant. Plenty of wild birds were about, the
+bright sun glancing on their sleek coats&mdash;all looking
+so like my pet it was impossible to distinguish
+him. I little knew that he was then starving and
+miserable under a bush in the upper part of the
+garden. I continued calling and seeking him until
+breakfast-time, and fast losing all hope of ever
+seeing him again. About eleven o'clock I was returning
+from the kitchen garden, with my hands full
+of fruit and flowers, when, to my intense delight,
+poor little Richard came slowly out from under a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">p. 32</a></span>
+laurel, and stood in the path before me, as veritable
+a type of a birdish prodigal son as could well be
+imagined.</p>
+
+<p>His feathers were ruffled, his wings drooping, his
+whole aspect irresistibly reminded one of the Jackdaw
+of Rheims; and the way he sidled up to me,
+with half-closed eyes and drooping head, was one
+of the most pathetic things I ever experienced. He
+so plainly said, "I'm very sorry&mdash;hope you'll forgive
+me; won't do it again"; and certainly his
+mute appeal was not in vain, for down went my
+fruit and flowers, and with loving words I took up
+my lost darling, and cooed over him all sorts of
+affectionate rubbish until we reached home and he
+was restored to his cage. There his one desire was
+water. Poor fellow! he was nearly famished. I
+think another hour would have seen his end.
+There is no water in the garden, except in the
+stone vase in front of the dining-room window, and
+he would not have known how to find that, so he
+must have been twenty-eight hours without drinking
+anything beyond a possible drop of dew now
+and then. I had to feed him with great care&mdash;a
+little food, and very often, until he recovered a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">p. 33</a></span>
+measure of strength. He was very drooping all
+day, and I quite feared he might not live after all,
+he was so nearly starved to death. After some
+days, however, "Richard was himself again," and as
+bright and amusing as ever. I have not related the
+amusing characteristics of his "daily tub." His love
+of water was a perfect passion, and water he would
+have. At first he was treated to a large glass dish
+on the matting in the dining-room, but he sent up
+such a perfect fountain of spray over curtains,
+couch, and chairs, that the housemaid voted "that
+bird" a nuisance, and a better plan was devised.
+In the conservatory is a pool of water, with rock-work
+and ferns at the back, and there is a central
+tube where a fountain can be turned on. I made
+a small island of green moss a little above the
+water, and, placing Richard upon it, I turned the
+fountain on to play a delicate shower of spray over
+him. He was perfectly enchanted, and fluttered,
+turned about, and frisked, like a bird possessed. As
+he became accustomed to it, I began to throw
+handfuls of water over him, and that he did enjoy.
+He would cower down, and lie with his wings
+expanded and beak open, receiving charge after<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">p. 34</a></span>
+charge of water till quite out of breath; then he
+would run a few paces away on his island till he
+recovered himself, and then would go back and
+place himself ready for a renewed douche. I never
+saw such a plucky bird. If I had been trying to
+drown him I could not have done more, for sometimes
+he was knocked backwards into the pool;
+but no matter, he was up again, and all ready in a
+minute. He generally tired me out, and when I
+turned off the fountain, he would either fly or run
+after me into the drawing-room and go into his
+cage, which always stood there; and there followed
+a very careful toilette&mdash;a general oiling and
+pluming and fluttering, until his bonnie little
+feathers were all in good order; and then would
+follow endless chatter, and he would inform the
+world that he was a "little beauty," "pretty little
+dear," &amp;c.</p>
+
+<p>Starlings seem to have an abundant supply of
+natural oil in the gland where it is stored, for his
+feathers were never really much wetted by his tremendous
+baths, and he was a slippery fellow to
+hold, his plumage was so glossy and sleek.</p>
+
+<p>A word must be said about his temper; it was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">p. 35</a></span>
+decidedly not meek by any means, and his will was
+strong, so the least thing would bring a shower of
+pecks in token of disapproval, and if scolded his
+attitude was most absurd; he would draw himself
+up to a wonderful height, set up his crest feathers,
+and stand ready to meet all comers, like a little
+fighting cock; and when a finger was pointed at
+him he would scold and peck, and flap with his
+wings with the utmost fury; and yet if a kind
+word was said all his wrath vanished, and he
+would come on your hand and prize your fingers
+apart, looking for grubs as usual. It seemed
+strange that his habit of thus searching for
+insects everywhere should continue, though he was
+never by any chance rewarded by finding one. A
+starling's range of ideas may be summed up in the
+word "Grubs." It was always immensely amusing
+to strangers to see Richard, when out in the room,
+searching with his inquisitive beak in the most
+hopeless places with a cheerful happy activity, as
+if he always felt sure that long-looked-for grub, for
+which he had searched all the years of his life,
+must be close by, round the corners somewhere,
+under the penwiper, behind that book, amongst<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">p. 36</a></span>
+these coloured silks; and if interfered with he
+would give a peck and a chirp, as much as to say,
+"Do let me alone, I'm busy; I've got my living to
+get, and grubs seem scarce." Richard was the only
+bird I have ever had who learnt the nature of
+windows, he never flew against them; he had
+one or two severe concussions, and being a very
+sensible bird he "concluded" he wouldn't do it
+again; he would fly backwards and forwards in the
+drawing-room in swift flight, but I never feared
+either the windows or the fire, as he avoided both.</p>
+
+<p>Several times Master Richard was found flying
+about in the drawing-room, and yet no one had let
+him out; we could only suppose that by some mischance
+the door must have been left open; yet
+we all felt morally certain it had been fastened
+properly, and there was much puzzlement about
+the matter.</p>
+
+<p>However, the mystery was soon solved by my
+watching Richard's proceedings. I heard a prolonged
+hammering and found he was at work upon
+the hasp of his cage door. He managed to raise it
+up higher and higher, till by a well-directed peck
+he sent it clear out of the loop of wire which held<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">p. 37</a></span>
+it in its place. Still the door was shut, and it
+required a good many more pecks to force it open,
+but he succeeded in time, and out he flew&mdash;delighted
+to find himself entirely master of the
+situation. Then I watched with much amusement
+his deliberate survey of the room.</p>
+
+<p>I was ill at the time, and he first flew to greet
+me and talk a little; he hopped upon my hand,
+and holding firmly on my forefinger he went
+through his usual morning toilette, first an application
+to his oil gland, then he touched up all
+his plumage, drew out his wing and tail feathers,
+fluttered himself into shape, and when quite in order
+he began to examine the contents of my breakfast
+tray; took a little sugar, looked to see if there were
+any grubs under the tray cloth, peered into the
+cream jug, decided that he didn't like the salt,
+gave me two or three hard pecks to express his
+profound affection, and then went off on a voyage
+of discovery, <i>autour de ma chambre</i>. He squeezed
+himself between every ornament on the mantlepiece,
+flew to the drawers, and found there some
+grapes which were very much to his taste; so he
+was busy for some time helping himself. He<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">p. 38</a></span>
+visited every piece of furniture, threw down all the
+little items that he could lift, and, as I was reading,
+I did not particularly notice what he was about,
+until he came on a small table near my bed, and
+then I heard a suspicious noise, and turned to find
+the indefatigable bird with his beak in my ink
+bottle, and the sheet already plentifully bespattered
+with black splashes and little streams of ink trickling
+over the table cover; such misplaced zeal was
+not to be borne, so Richard had to be caged.
+When he was seven months old, his beak began to
+turn from black to yellow. The colour began to
+show first at the base of the beak, and it went on
+gradually, until in a month's time it was nearly all
+yellow, though it was black at the tip for some
+time longer. As time went on, Richard's talking
+powers increased; he quite upset any grave conversation
+that might be going on; his voice
+dropped at times to a sort of stage whisper, as if
+he wished to convey some profound secrets. "Oh,
+you little beauty, pretty little dear, 'ow de doo?"
+used to mingle most absurdly with the conversation
+of his elders and betters. When he could not
+have his bath in the conservatory, I
+<ins class="transcriber" title="Transcriber's note: extra 'to' removed.">used still</ins>
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">p. 39</a></span>
+to give him his glass dish, which we used together,
+for he would never enjoy his ablutions without me,
+and I became considerably sprinkled in the process.
+His delight was to have a water fight, pecking
+at my fingers, scolding, as if in a great rage,
+using his claws, and all the while calling me "Dear
+little Dicky; beauty; pretty little dear," &amp;c., for he
+had no harder words to scold with; certainly the
+effect was most comical. When he supposed he
+had gained the victory, he would settle down to a
+regular bathe, fluttering and taking headers until
+he was dripping wet and delightfully happy, and
+the next thing would be to perch on one's chair,
+and shake a regular shower of drops over one's
+books or work.</p>
+
+<p>Richard was not, as a rule, at all frightened by
+noises, or by being carried about in his cage in
+strange places, but early one morning, when he was
+out in my room, he flew away from the window
+with a piercing scream of terror, and hid himself
+quite in the dark, behind my pillow, shivering
+with fright, as if he felt his last hour had come.
+We found out, when this had occurred several
+times, that his <i>b&ecirc;te noire</i> was a great heron, which<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">p. 40</a></span>
+used occasionally to leave the lake, and circle
+round the house, high up in the air. It could only
+have been by pure instinct that Richard was inspired
+with such terror whenever he saw the great
+winged bird, and it showed that artificial training,
+though it develops additional powers and habits,
+in no way interferes with natural instinct.</p>
+
+<p>The starling has a remarkably active brain; its
+quickness of movement, swift flight, and never-tiring
+activity, all show the working of its inner
+mind; but more than that, it seems to be capable
+of something akin to reasoning. Richard sometimes
+dropped a piece of meat on his sanded floor,
+and I have often seen him take it up and well
+rinse it in his water, till the sand was cleansed
+away, and then he would swallow it; and a dry
+piece of meat he would moisten in the same way.
+Now this involved a good deal of mental intuition,
+and I often wondered whether he found out that
+water would remove the sand by accident, or by a
+process of thought; in either case, it showed cleverness
+and adaptability. So also with the processes
+of opening the door of his cage. He had first to
+prize up the latch with his beak to a certain height,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">p. 41</a></span>
+and then by sudden sharp pecks send it clear of
+the hasp; then descend to the floor, and by straight
+pecks send the door open. If he could not get
+the door to open thus, he understood at once
+that the latch was not clear of the hasp, so he
+went back to his perch and pecked at it until
+he saw it fall down, and then he knew all was
+right.</p>
+
+<p>When the second summer of Richard's life came
+round, some young starlings were obtained, as we
+much wished to rear a hen as a mate for Richard
+in the following year. These birds were placed in
+a cage in the same room with him, as we hoped he
+would prove their tutor, and save us the trouble of
+teaching them. But no; Richard evidently felt
+profoundly jealous of these intruders, and day after
+day remained perfectly dumb and out of temper.
+This went on for a week, and then fearing he
+might lose his talking powers, I was obliged to
+remove them and pay special attention to him, to
+soothe his ruffled feelings. He did not begin to
+talk until more than a week had passed by,
+evidently resolving to mark in this way his
+extreme displeasure at others being admitted to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">p. 42</a></span>
+share our friendship&mdash;a curious instance of innate
+jealousy in a bird's mind.</p>
+
+<p>For more than five years Richard was a source
+of constant pleasure and amusement, and was so
+much a part of my home-life that when anything
+unusual happened, in the way of a garden-party
+or a change in daily events from any cause, one's
+first thought was to provide for his comfort being
+undisturbed. I confess I dreaded the thought of
+his growing old, and could not bear to look on to
+the time when I must learn to do without his
+sweet, cheering little voice and pleasant companionship.
+Alas! that time has come, and I
+must now tell how the little life was quenched.</p>
+
+<p>In a room to which he had access, there was a
+small aquarium half-full of water thickly covered
+with pond-weed. I had left Richard to have his
+usual bath whilst I went down to breakfast, and
+when I returned I could nowhere find my pet.
+His usual bath was unused; I called and searched,
+and at last in the adjoining room I saw the little
+motionless body floating in the aquarium. The
+temptation had been too strong; Richard thought
+to have a lovely bathe, had flown down into the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">p. 43</a></span>
+water, no doubt his claws were hopelessly entangled
+in the weed and thus, as was the case with
+my former starling Dick, the intense love of
+bathing led to a fatal end.</p>
+
+<p>The sorrow one feels for the loss of a pet so interwoven
+with one's life is very real; many may smile
+at it and call it weakness, but true lovers of
+animals and birds will know what a blank is felt
+and how intensely I shall ever regret the untimely
+fate of my much-loved little Richard.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 617px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-009" id="illus-009"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p43.png" alt="STARLING IN SEARCH OF FOOD" title="STARLING IN SEARCH OF FOOD" width="617" height="265" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">p. 44</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 628px; padding-top: 1em">
+<a name="illus-010" id="illus-010"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p44.png" alt="" title="" width="628" height="356" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="VERDANT." id="VERDANT."></a>
+
+<h2>VERDANT.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-o-p44.png" alt="O" title="O" width="63" height="107"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 52px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 32px; height: 9px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ NE day in early summer I found on a
+gravel walk a poor little unfledged
+birdie, sitting calmly looking up into
+the air, as if he hoped that some help
+would come to him, some pitying hand
+and heart have compassion upon his desolate
+condition.</p></div>
+
+<p>I carried him indoors, and "mothered" the little
+helpless thing as well as I could, by feeding him
+with hard-boiled yolk of egg mixed with brown
+bread and water. Being a hard-billed bird, I
+supposed that would be suitable food, and certainly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">p. 45</a></span>
+he throve upon it. The little blue quills began to
+tell of coming feathers, his vigorous chirpings
+betokened plenty of vocal power, and in due time
+he grew into a young greenfinch of the most
+irrepressible and enterprising character. His
+lovely hues of green and yellow led to the name
+of Verdant being bestowed upon him, and his
+early experiences made it a somewhat suitable
+name.</p>
+
+<p>Poor little man! he had no parents to instruct
+him, and he consequently got into all manner of
+scrapes. He only learnt the nature of windows
+and looking-glasses by bitter experience; flying
+against them with great force, he was often taken
+up for dead; but his solid little skull resisted all
+these concussions, and by pouring cold water upon
+his head and some down his throat, he always
+managed to recover. He once overbalanced into
+a bath, and was nearly drowned; he fell behind
+a wardrobe, and was nearly suffocated; later on
+he almost squeezed himself to death between the
+bars of his cage&mdash;in fact, he had endless escapes
+of various kinds. He was very amusing in his
+early youth. Whilst I was dressing he would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">p. 46</a></span>
+delight in picking up my scissors, pins, buttonhook,
+and anything else he could lift, and would
+carry them to the edge of the dressing-table and
+throw them down, turning his sly little head to see
+where they had fallen. He delighted in mischief,
+and was ever on the watch to carry off or misplace
+things; and yet he was a winning little pet,
+fearless in his confidence, perching on one's head
+or shoulder, and hindering all dressing operations
+by calmly placing his little body in the way,
+regardless of consequences.</p>
+
+<p>He lived in his cage during the day, and next
+to him, on the same table, lived a bullfinch&mdash;a
+very handsome bird, but heavy and lethargic to
+a degree; he sang exquisitely, and for that gift I
+suppose Verdant admired him, for his delight was
+to be as near him as possible. Perched on the top
+of his cage, he gazed down at his friend, and in
+great measure imitated his singing. Bully, on the
+contrary, hated Verdant, and would have nothing
+to do with him. The two characters were a great
+source of amusement to us.</p>
+
+<p>Verdant was always let out at meal-times to fly
+about and enjoy his liberty, and I am sorry to say<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">p. 47</a></span>
+he was always on the look-out for any mischief
+that might be possible. Bully's water-jar was
+fastened outside by a small pin; this Verdant
+discovered was movable, and before long we were
+startled by the fall of the said water-jar, the greenfinch
+having pulled out the pin; he then began
+upon the seed-box, and that also fell, to his great
+delight; he was then talked to and scolded, and
+up went his pretty yellow wings with angry
+flappings, and his open beak scolded back again
+in the most hardened manner. He was greatly
+interested in watching the numerous birds frequenting
+a basket filled with fat which hung outside the
+window, and he would swing backwards and
+forwards on the tassel of the blind, chirping to the
+outsiders, and watching all their little squabbles.
+Sunflower seeds were his greatest dainty; he
+would perch upon the hand to receive one, or if it
+were held between the lips he would flutter and
+poise upon the wing to take it. A sort of swing
+with a chain and movable wheel was provided,
+upon which Verdant soon learned to perch and
+swing, whilst he amused himself by pecking at the
+chain till he disengaged the sunflower seeds I had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">p. 48</a></span>
+fixed in the links. When he was more than a
+year old, and I thought he might be depended
+upon, I tried the rather anxious experiment of
+letting him out of doors. He soon became quietly
+happy, investigating the wonders of tree branches,
+inquiring into the taste of leaves and all kind of
+novelties, when two or three sparrows flew at him
+and scared him considerably. Away he went,
+followed by the sparrows, and I began to repent
+my experiment, and feared he might go beyond my
+ken and lose himself. He was out nearly an hour,
+but at last he returned and went quietly into his
+cage. It seemed strange that the wild birds should
+so soon discover that he was not one of their clique,
+but I suppose Verdant revealed the secret by
+looking frightened, and the others could not resist
+the fun of chasing him. For more than a year and
+a half my birdie was a constant pleasure. Whenever
+he entered the dining-room my first act was to
+open Verdant's cage, when he would always fly to
+the bullfinch's cage and greet him with a chirp,
+then look to see if his friend had any provender
+that he could get at&mdash;a piece of lettuce between
+the bars, or a spray of millet to which he could help<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">p. 49</a></span>
+himself; no matter that Bully remonstrated with
+open beak, Verdant calmly feasted on stolen goods
+<i>con gusto</i>, and then scouted around for any dainties
+on the carpet, where he sometimes found a stray
+sunflower seed, always his greatest delight. After
+his summer moulting he became wonderfully
+vigorous, and would fly round the room with such
+velocity that I often felt afraid he might some day
+fly against the plate-glass windows and injure
+himself.</p>
+
+<p>That mournful day came at last! He had been
+out as usual at breakfast-time, came on my finger
+for a seed, had his bath, and went on the little swing
+for more seeds, and flew about with all his joyous life
+and vigour. We had only left the room for a few
+moments, when, on returning, the dear little bird lay
+dead beneath the window, against which he had
+flown with such force as to break his neck and
+cause instant death.</p>
+
+<p>The sorrow of that moment will never be
+forgotten; indeed, I cannot even now think of my
+little pet with undimmed eyes&mdash;he was a moment
+before so full of life and beauty, so fearless, such a
+"sonsie" little fellow; and then to hold the little<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">p. 50</a></span>
+golden green body in my hand and watch the fast-glazing
+eye, and think that I should never again
+have my cheery little friend to greet me and be
+glad at my coming, was one of those sharp pangs
+that true lovers of nature alone can understand.
+From all such I know I shall have sympathy in the
+tragic death of my much-loved little Verdant.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 325px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-011" id="illus-011"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p49.png" alt="" title="" width="325" height="193" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">p. 51</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 290px; padding-top: 1em;  padding-bottom: 3em">
+<a name="illus-012" id="illus-012"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p51.png" alt="WILD DUCK" title="WILD DUCK" width="290" height="220" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center">
+<a name="THE_WILD_DUCKS." id="THE_WILD_DUCKS."></a>
+<h2>THE WILD DUCKS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-w-p51.png" alt="W" title="W" width="87" height="178"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 55px; height: 30px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 87px; height: 30px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 94px; height: 115px"></div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='ornate'>
+<br /><br /><br />
+ HEN our grass was being cut the
+mowers came upon a wild duck's
+nest containing eight eggs; they
+were carried whilst still warm and
+placed under a sitting hen; in a
+week's time she brought out eight
+fluffy little ducklings, which were
+placed with her under a coop in the farmyard. I
+paid them a visit the next day, but, alas! I saw
+four little corpses lying about in the grass, the
+remaining four were chirping piteously, and the hen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">p. 52</a></span>
+was in despair at being unable to comfort her
+uncanny children. Evidently their diet was in
+fault; I thought I would take them in hand, and
+therefore had the coop brought round to the
+garden, and placed under the drooping boughs of a
+deodar near the drawing-room window, where I
+could watch over them.</p>
+
+<p>I gave the wee birdies a pan of water, and placed
+in it some finely-shred lettuce, with grits and brown
+bread crumbs, not forgetting suitable food for the
+poor distracted hen. It was charming to hear the
+little happy twitterings of the downy babes, how
+they gobbled and sputtered and talked to each
+other over their repast, swimming to and fro as if
+they had been ducks of mature age and experience,
+instead of mere yellow fluffs of a day old; and,
+finally, they seemed to remember they had a warm,
+comfortable mother somewhere, and sought refuge
+under her kindly wings, where I left them exchanging
+confidences in little drowsy chirps.</p>
+
+<p>I found it needful to guard my little brood
+with fine wire-work, for some carrion crows kept
+hovering near, and a weasel was constantly on the
+watch to carry them off; but these enemies were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">p. 53</a></span>
+successfully baffled, and three of the ducks survived
+all dangers and grew to beautiful maturity, the
+fourth having died in infancy from an accidental
+peck from the hen. In rearing all wild creatures the
+great thing is to study and imitate, as nearly as
+possible, their natural surroundings, and especially
+their diet. Chopped lettuce and worms made a
+fair substitute for their natural food, but the
+jubilation that went on when a mass of water-weed,
+full of insects, water snails, &amp;c., was brought
+them, showed that they knew by instinct what
+suited them best. With constant care and attention
+they grew very tame, and would eat out of one's
+hand, and when let out of the coop would follow
+me to a certain heap of dead leaves where worms
+abounded, and there, with the most amusing eagerness,
+they pounced upon their wriggling prey,
+snatching the worms out of each other's beak, and
+tumbling over one another in their excitement, all
+the while making a special chirp of exceeding
+happiness.</p>
+
+<p>They were named Tiny, Sir Francis Drake, and
+Luther&mdash;I fear the last name had a covert allusion
+to the "Diet of Worms."</p><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">p. 54</a></span></p>
+
+<p>When the purple feathers began to show in their
+wings, and they considered themselves quite too old
+to pay any allegiance to their hen-mother, they began
+to absent themselves for some hours each afternoon,
+and this, too, in a most secret fashion, for I could
+never tell how they disappeared, but they returned
+in due time, walking quietly in Indian file, and lay
+down in their coop. At last I traced them to a
+pond a long distance off&mdash;it really seemed as if
+they had scented the water, for they had to traverse
+a lawn and wood, go across a drive, and through a
+hedge and field, and then the pond was in a hollow
+where they could not possibly have seen it; but
+there I found my little friends in high glee, darting
+over the surface of the water, splashing, diving,
+sending up showers of spray from their wings, and
+going on as if they were possessed. I called to
+them, and in a moment they quieted down, and
+behaved exactly as children would have done when
+caught tripping&mdash;they came out of the water and
+followed me, in the meekest and most penitent
+manner, back to their home under the deodar.</p>
+
+<p>These birds would stay the whole morning with
+me in perfect content if they were allowed to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">p. 55</a></span>
+nestle into a wool mat placed at the doorstep of
+the French window leading out upon the lawn;
+there they would plume themselves and sometimes
+preen each other, and I could watch the way in
+which the feathers were drawn through the apparently
+awkward bill, yet I suppose so suited for
+its various uses; anyway the feathers came out
+from its manipulations as smooth and sleek as
+velvet, and when the toilet was over the head found
+its rest behind the wing, and profound sleep
+followed. Sometimes my friends would make a
+spring upon the sofa by my side, I fear with a
+view to forthcoming worms, of which they well
+knew I was the purveyor; and nothing could
+exceed the slyness of their eyes as they looked up
+at me and mutely suggested an expedition to that
+heap of leaves!</p>
+
+<p>I must say I derived an immense amount of
+amusement from those ducks; they had such
+innate character of their own, quite unlike any
+other bird I ever came across.</p>
+
+<p>I had often looked forward to the time when they
+would take to their wings and come down upon
+the lawn from aerial heights with a grand fuss and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">p. 56</a></span>
+fluttering of wings, but that desire they never
+gratified. The day came at last when I saw them
+circling high up in the air, so high that they were
+mere specks in the sky, but where they alighted I
+never could find out. They always re-appeared,
+walking solemnly (the little hypocrites!) one after
+the other, as if they had been doing nothing in
+particular, and were now coming in exemplary
+fashion to be fed. I believe it is very rarely the
+case that wild ducks, however they may appear
+domesticated, will remain all the year through with
+those who have reared them, and really take their
+place in the poultry-yard with the other inmates.
+Still it has been known, and I will subjoin an
+account given me by a friend, which goes to prove
+that such a state of things is possible. My friend
+gave me in substance the following account of her
+wild ducks:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"There are different kinds of wild ducks; these
+are mallards. The first we had were hatched by
+hens. They feed with the other ducks, but show a
+decided preference for Indian corn. They are very
+troublesome about laying, often leaving their eggs
+exposed, where the crows find them and carry them<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">p. 57</a></span>
+off. We gather most of them we find, to take care
+of them (though the ducks lay in different places
+each time their nest is robbed) until there are
+preparations for sitting, when, if we have been
+fortunate enough to discover the fact, we add a
+number of the previously gathered eggs.</p>
+
+<p>"The sitting duck comes for food every two or
+three days, and that is all we see of her for some
+time, until at length she may be seen coming
+through the meadow, the half-grown mowing grass
+behind her trembling and waving in an unusual
+manner: by-and-by, the road or shorter grass is
+reached, when it is found the proud mother is
+bringing home her little fluffy family of perhaps
+eight to eleven darkie ducklings&mdash;quick, active, tiny
+things that refuse at first all friendly advances, but
+becoming accustomed to their surroundings soon
+behave much in the manner of their elders. There
+are dreadful fights on the pond when two or more
+little families arrive about the same time, the
+mother of one flock tyrannizing over the members
+of another, and thus causing many deaths. They
+often fly away, but they always come back again.
+All through the winter they go under cover with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">p. 58</a></span>
+the other ducks, but when spring comes they are
+not to be found at night; nevertheless they are
+sure to be ready for breakfast next morning."</p>
+
+<p>I confess I always had a faint hope that my
+ducks might stay with me, or at any rate return
+from time to time, but their wild nature prevailed,
+and they finally left; only Luther reappeared
+alone one day and took his last "diet" from my
+hand; but there was a look in his pretty blue eye
+which said plainly, "You will never see me again,"
+and he had his final caress and departed "to fresh
+woods and pastures new."</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 312px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-013" id="illus-013"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p58.png" alt="TINY, SIR FRANCIS DRAKE AND LUTHER" title="TINY, SIR FRANCIS DRAKE AND LUTHER" width="312" height="194" /><br />
+
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">p. 59</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 345px; padding-top: 1em">
+<a name="illus-014" id="illus-014"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p59.png" alt="JAY" title="JAY" width="345" height="325" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="THE_JAY." id="THE_JAY."></a>
+<h2>THE JAY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-m-p59.png" alt="M" title="M" width="76" height="102"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 75px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 98px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 75px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 48px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ Y Jay was taken from the parent
+nest, built on the stem of an ivy-covered
+tree which had been blown
+down in the winter. A young jay
+is a curious-looking creature: the exquisite
+blue wing feathers begin to show before
+the others are more than quills; the eyes are
+large and bright blue, and when the great
+beak opens it shows a large throat of deepest
+carmine, so that it possesses the beauty of colour<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">p. 60</a></span>
+from its earliest days, and when full grown and in
+fine plumage it is one of the handsomest of our
+birds. In its babyhood my jay was much like
+other young things of his kind, always clamouring
+for food, and seeming to care for little else, but as
+he grew up he attached himself to me with a
+wonderful strength of affection which entirely
+reversed this order of things, for whenever I came
+into the room he was restless and unhappy until I
+came near enough for him to feed me, he would
+look carefully into his food-trough, and at last
+select what he thought the most tempting morsel,
+and then put it through the bars of his cage into
+my mouth. He would sometimes feed other
+people, but as a rule he disliked strangers, and I
+have known him even take water in his beak and
+squirt it at those who displeased him. On the
+whole, a jay is not a very desirable pet; he is
+restless in a cage, and too large to be quite
+convenient when loose in a room; again, his great
+timidity is a drawback&mdash;the least noise, the sight
+of a cat or dog, puts him in a nervous fright, and he
+flutters about with anxious notes of alarm. He is <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">p. 61</a></span>
+seen to best advantage hopping about on a lawn,</p></div>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">p. 62</a></span></p>
+<p><br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">p. 63</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-015" id="illus-015"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p61.png" alt="ANOTHER JAY" title="ANOTHER JAY" width="550" height="311" /><br />
+<span class="caption">THE JAY.</span>
+</div>
+
+<p class="noindent">where he may be attracted by acorns being strewn
+in winter and spring. It is a pity that his marauding
+habits in game preserves lead to his being so
+ruthlessly shot by gamekeepers till it is almost a
+rare sight to see the handsome bird and hear his
+note of alarm in the woods. One morning I saw
+a jay on the lawn near the house, and rather
+wondering as to what he was seeking, in a
+minute or two I saw him pounce upon a young
+half-fledged bird and carry it off in his beak, a
+helpless little baby wing fluttering in the air as he
+flew away. Their sight is wonderfully keen, and
+their cunning is amusing to watch as they steal by
+careful steps nearer and nearer to their prey, and
+at last by a sudden dart secure it and make off in
+rapid flight.</p>
+
+<p>After a year or two my poor jay met with a
+very sad fate. A garden-party was to take place,
+and knowing the jay's terror of any unusual noise
+or upstir, I carried his cage to a quiet room where
+I hoped he would be quite happy and hear nothing.</p>
+
+<p>I, however, did not happen to notice that, later
+on, the band had established their quarters near
+this room, and I suppose the unwonted sounds<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">p. 64</a></span>
+drove the poor bird into a wild state of terror, and
+that in his flutterings he had caught his leg in the
+bars of the cage; anyway, I went up about the
+middle of the party to see how my pet was faring,
+when I found him in utter misery clinging to the
+bars, his thigh dislocated and his leg hopelessly
+broken. It was a mournful duty to carry him
+away to merciful hands that would end his torture
+by an instant death. For many a day I missed
+that bright, handsome birdie who had always a
+welcome for me and the offer of such hospitality
+as his cage afforded.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">p. 65</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 291px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-016" id="illus-016"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p64.png" alt="" title="" width="291" height="194" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">p. 66</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 587px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-017" id="illus-017"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p66.png" alt="A YOUNG CUCKOO" title="A YOUNG CUCKOO" width="587" height="220" /><br />
+<span class="caption">A YOUNG CUCKOO.</span>
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">p. 67</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 305px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-018" id="illus-018"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p67.png" alt="BUTTERFLY AND CATERPILLAR" title="BUTTERFLY AND CATERPILLAR" width="305" height="204" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="A_YOUNG_CUCKOO." id="A_YOUNG_CUCKOO."></a>
+<h2>A YOUNG CUCKOO.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-l-p67.png" alt="L" title="L" width="76" height="96"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 74px;height:19px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 82px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 58px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 45px;height:17px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ OOKING out of my window before six
+o'clock one bright morning in early
+summer, I chanced to see a large bird
+sitting quietly on the gravel walk. Its
+feathers were ruffled as if it felt cold and
+miserable, and its drooping head told a tale of
+unhappiness from some cause or other. Whilst I
+was watching it, a little bird darted with all its
+force against the larger one, and made it roll over
+on the path; it slowly rose up again, but in another
+minute a bird from the other side flew against it
+and again rolled it over. Such conduct could not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">p. 68</a></span>
+be tolerated, so, dressing quickly, I went out, and
+picking up the strange bird I found it was a young
+cuckoo nearly starved to death, having, as I
+supposed, lost its foster-parents. The bird was in
+beautiful plumage, except down the front of its
+throat, where the repeated attacks of the small
+birds in showing their usual enmity towards the
+cuckoo, had stripped off the feathers. The poor bird
+was only skin and bone, nearly dying from lack of
+food and persecution, and made no resistance when
+I brought him in to see if I could act the part of
+foster-mother. Finely-mixed raw meat and brown
+bread seemed to me the best substitute for his
+insect diet&mdash;but he <i>was</i> an awkward baby to feed&mdash;though
+sinking for want of nourishment he
+would not open his great beak, and every half-hour
+he had to be fed sorely against his will with
+many flapping of his wings and other protests of
+his bird nature. He would not stay quiet in any
+sort of cage, but when allowed to perch on the rim
+of a large basket quite free, he remained happily
+enough by the hour together. After a few days
+he grew into a vigorous, active bird, flying round
+the room, and too wild to be retained with safety<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">p. 69</a></span>
+He was therefore let loose, and soon flew quite out
+of sight. I should hope he was quite able to
+support himself by his own exertions. I must say
+he showed no gratitude for my benevolent succour
+in his time of need.</p></div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 339px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-019" id="illus-019"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p69.png" alt="YOUNG CUCKOO ATTACKED BY BIRDS" title="YOUNG CUCKOO ATTACKED BY BIRDS" width="339" height="349" /><br />
+<span class="caption">YOUNG CUCKOO ATTACKED BY BIRDS</span>
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">p. 70</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 628px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-020" id="illus-020"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p70.png" alt="" title="" width="628" height="356" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="THE_TAMING_OF_OUR_PETS." id="THE_TAMING_OF_OUR_PETS."></a>
+<h2>THE TAMING OF OUR PETS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-s-p70.png" alt="" title="" width="66" height="117"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+  <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 55px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 35px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ INCE the love of animal and bird pets
+seems so universal, both amongst rich
+and poor, it is well that the desire to
+keep creatures in captivity should be
+wisely directed, and that young people
+especially should be led to think of the things that
+are requisite to make their pets live and prosper in
+some degree of happiness.</p></div>
+
+<p>I have often been consulted by some sweet,
+impulsive child about its "pet robin" or "dear
+little swallow," as to why it did not seem to eat or
+feel happy? and have found the poor victims
+quietly starving to death on a diet of oats, canarys<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">p. 71</a></span>
+seed, or even green leaves, the infant mind not
+feeling quite sure what the "pretty birdies" lived
+upon.</p>
+
+<p>It is needless to say we might as well try to keep
+a bird on pebbles as give hard grain to a soft-billed
+insect-eating bird; but this kind of cruelty is constantly
+practised simply from ignorance. I would
+therefore endeavour to give a few general rules for
+the guidance of those who have a new pet of some
+kind, which they wish to domesticate and tame.</p>
+
+<p>To begin with animals; suitable food, a comfortable
+home, means of cleanliness, and exercise are
+essential to their health and comfort. These four
+requisites are seldom fully attended to. Often
+a large dog is kept in a back yard in London
+chained up week after week&mdash;kept alive, it is true,
+by food and water, but without exercise, and with
+no means of ridding himself of dirt and insects
+by a plunge now and then into a pond or river.
+No wonder his piteous howls disturb the neighbours,
+and he is spoken of as "that horrid dog!"
+as if it was his fault poor fellow! that he feels
+miserable and uses his only language of complaint.</p>
+
+<p>One would suggest, it is better not to keep such<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">p. 72</a></span>
+a dog in a confined space in town, but if he is to be
+retained he should have one or two daily scampers
+for exercise, the opportunity of bathing, if he is a
+water-dog, plenty of fresh water, dog-biscuits, and
+a few bones twice a day, and a clean house and
+straw for bedding.</p>
+
+<p>I would call attention to the piece of solid brimstone
+so persistently put into dogs' water pans. It
+is placed there with the best intention, but is
+utterly useless, seeing it is a perfectly insoluble
+substance, but a small teaspoonful of powdered
+brimstone mixed now and then with the water
+would be lapped up when the animal drinks, and
+would tend to keep his skin and coat in good
+condition.</p>
+
+<p>Different animals need treating according to
+their nature and requirements, and surely it is well
+to try and find out from some of the many
+charming books on natural history all the information
+which is needed to make the new pet happy
+in its captivity. It is both useless and cruel to try
+to keep and tame newly caught, full-grown English
+birds. After being used to their joyous life
+amongst tree branches, in happy fellowship with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">p. 73</a></span>
+others of their own kind, living on food of their
+own selection, it is hardly likely they can be
+reconciled to the narrow limits of a cage and the
+dreariness of a solitary life; it is far better not to
+attempt keeping them, for what pleasure can there
+be in seeing the incessant flutterings of a miserable
+little creature that we know is breaking its heart in
+longings for liberty, and though it may linger a
+while is sure to die at last of starvation and sorrow.
+No, the only way to enjoy friendships with full-grown
+birds is to tame them by food and kindness,
+till such a tie of love is formed that they will come
+into our houses and give us their sweet company
+willingly.</p>
+
+<p>No cruelty of any kind whatever should be
+tolerated for a moment in our treatment of the
+tender dumb creatures our Heavenly Father has
+given us to be a solace and joy during our life on
+earth.</p>
+
+<p>The taming of pets requires a good many different
+qualities&mdash;much patience, a very quiet manner,
+and a cheery way of talking to the little creatures
+we desire to win into friendship with us; it is
+wonderful how that prevents needless terrors.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">p. 74</a></span></p>
+
+<p>There are no secrets that I am aware of in
+taming anything, but love and gentleness. Directly
+a bird flutters, one must stop and speak kindly;
+the human voice has wonderful power over all
+animated nature, and then try to see what is the
+cause of alarm, and remove it if possible. In
+entering a room where your pet is, always speak to
+it, and by the time you have led it to give an
+answering chirp, the taming will go on rapidly,
+because there is an understanding between you,
+and the little lonely bird feels it has a friend, and
+takes you instead of its feathered companions, and
+begins to delight in your company.</p>
+
+<p>A person going silently to a cage and dragging
+out the bottom tray will frighten any bird into
+flutterings of alarm, which effectually hinders any
+taming going on; but approach gently, talking to
+the bird by name, pull the tray quietly a little way,
+and then stop and speak, and so draw it out by
+degrees and the thing is done, and no fright
+experienced. A better way still is to have a
+second cage, and let birdie hop into that while you
+clean the other, and then it is amusing to see the
+pleasure and curiosity shown on his return when<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">p. 75</a></span>
+he finds fresh seed, pure water, and some dainty
+green food supplied; the loud chirpings tell of
+great delight and satisfaction, and the dreaded
+process is at last looked forward to as a time of
+recreation. It is much best that one person only
+should attend to the needs of a pet; indeed, I
+doubt if taming can ever go on satisfactorily
+unless this rule is observed; a bird is perplexed
+and scared if plans are changed, and, not knowing
+what is required of him, he grows flurried, and the
+training of weeks past may be undone in a single
+day.</p>
+
+<p>Only those who have tried to educate birds can
+have any idea of the way in which their little minds
+will respond to affectionate treatment shown in a
+sensible way. They have a language of their own
+which we must set ourselves to learn if we would
+be <i>en rapport</i> with them. Their different chirpings
+each mean something, and a little observation will
+soon show what it is; for instance, my canary
+fairly shrieks when she sees lettuce on the breakfast-table,
+and her grateful note of thanks when it
+is bestowed upon her is of quite a different
+character. So also is her tender little sound of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">p. 76</a></span>
+rejoicing when I give her some broken egg-shell;
+she seems to value it immensely, and chirps to me
+with a great piece of it in her bill, quite regardless
+of good manners. I often think with pain how
+much birds must suffer when hour after hour they
+call and chirp and entreat for something they want,
+which they can see and long for, and yet the dull-minded
+human beings they live with pay no heed
+to them, food and water are given, but, in many
+cases, nothing more all day long, not even a little
+chickweed or groundsel, or the much-needed egg-shell
+to supply strength to their little bones. A
+bright word or two for birdie now and then, and a
+few friendly chirps as we enter the room, would do
+much to cheer the little prisoner's life, and would
+soon bring a charming response in fluttering wings
+and evident pleasure at our return.</p>
+
+<p>This state of things cannot be attained in a day
+or a month; it is only by persistent kindness,
+exercised patiently, until the little heart is won to
+a perfect trust in you as a true friend.</p>
+
+<p>Birds can easily be trained to come out for
+their daily bath, and then go back to their cage
+of their own accord, but it needs patience at first.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">p. 77</a></span>
+The bird must never be caught by the hand or
+driven about, but if the cage is put on the floor
+with some nice food in it, and the bird is called
+and gently guided to it, though it may take an
+hour to do it the first time, it will at last hop in,
+and then the door may be very quietly shut.
+Next time he will know what you wish and will
+be much more amenable, until at last it will be
+the regular thing to go home when the bath is
+over.</p>
+
+<p>I would condemn the practice of making birds
+draw up their own water; they are never free to
+satisfy their thirst without toilsome effort, and are
+much more liable to accident when chained to an
+open board than when kept in a cage. It is also
+sad to know that dozens of birds are starved to
+death or die of thirst whilst being taught this
+trick&mdash;frequently but one out of many is found to
+have the aptitude to learn it.</p>
+
+<p>It is a great help if some specially favourite food
+can be discovered by which the pet creature can
+be rewarded for good conduct. I <i>never</i> take away
+food or water to induce obedience by privation&mdash;a
+practice which I fear is often resorted to in training<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">p. 78</a></span>
+creatures for public exhibition&mdash;but an additional
+dainty I much enjoy to bestow, as a means of
+winning what is at first, it is true, merely
+cupboard love, but it soon grows into something
+far deeper, a lifelong friendship, quite apart from
+the food question.</p>
+
+<p>Cleanliness is a <i>very</i> important item in a bird's
+happiness. Whilst kept in a cage with but little
+sand and an outside water-glass which affords no
+means of washing its feathers, a bird is apt to
+become infested with insects; it is tormented by
+them day and night, and having no means of
+ridding itself of them, it grows thin and mopy,
+and at last dies a miserable death.</p>
+
+<p>There should be a bath supplied daily, suited
+to the size of the bird, and so planned that the
+cage itself may not get wet, else it may give the
+bird cramp to have to sit on a damp perch or floor.
+When its feathers are dry, some insect powder may
+be carefully dusted under the bird's wings, at the
+back of his head, where parasites are especially apt
+to congregate, and all over the body, only taking
+care that the powder may not get into the bird's
+eyes. The cage itself should be well washed with
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">p. 79</a></span>
+carbolic soap and water,
+all the corners scrubbed
+with a small
+brush; and, when
+dry, it might be
+sponged with carbolic
+lotion over the
+wire-work to kill any
+insects which may yet
+remain.</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 391px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-021" id="illus-021"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p79.png" alt="ARABESQUE" title="ARABESQUE" width="391" height="577" />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">p. 80</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 318px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-022" id="illus-022"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p80.png" alt="" title="" width="318" height="212" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="BIRDIE." id="BIRDIE."></a>
+<h2>BIRDIE.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-a-p80.png" alt="A" title="A" width="71" height="104"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 75px;height: 14px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 82px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 80px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 48px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ MONGST all the different birds which
+are kept in cages, either for their
+beauty or song, there is one which to
+my mind far excels all others, not only
+in its vocal powers, which are remarkable,
+but for its very unusual intelligence. I refer to
+the Virginian nightingale. It is a handsome,
+crimson plumaged bird, rather smaller than a
+starling, not unfrequently seen in bird-sellers'
+collections, but seen there to the worst possible
+advantage, for, being extremely shy and
+sensitive, and taking keen notice of everything<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">p. 81</a></span>
+around, the slightest voice or movement in the
+shop will make it flutter against the bars of its
+cage in an agony of fright, and it therefore looks
+a most unlikely bird to become an interesting pet;
+but I will try to show what may be done by gentle
+kindness to overcome this natural timidity. This
+will be seen in the history of Birdie, my first
+Virginian nightingale, my daily companion for
+fourteen years.</p></div>
+
+<p>He had belonged to a relative, and there was no
+way of tracing the age of the bird when first obtained;
+I can therefore only speak of those years
+in which he was in my possession. Birdie had
+been accustomed to live in a cage on a high shelf
+in the kitchen, well cared for, no doubt, but, untamed
+and unnoticed, he led a lonely life, and was
+one of the wildest birds I ever met with. For
+many months his flutterings, when any one came
+near his cage, could not be calmed, but by always
+speaking to him when entering the room, and if
+possible giving him a few hemp-seeds or any little
+dainty, he grew to endure one's presence; then,
+later on, he would begin to greet one with a little
+clicking note, though still retreating to the furthest<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">p. 82</a></span>
+corner of the cage, and a year or two passed by
+before he would take anything out of my hand, but
+this was attained by offering him his one irresistible
+temptation, <i>i.e.</i>, a lively spider; this he
+would seize and hold in his beak while he hopped
+about the cage, clicking loudly with delight. After
+a time I began to let him out for an hour or
+two, first releasing him when he was moulting
+and could not fly very easily. He learned to go
+back to his cage of his own accord, and was rewarded
+by always finding some favourite morsel
+there. Thus, by slow degrees, he lost all fear, and
+attached himself to me with a strength of affection
+that expressed itself in many endearing little ways.
+When called by name he would always answer
+with a special chirp and look up expectantly,
+either to receive something or to be let out. His
+song was very similar to the English nightingale,
+extremely liquid and melodious, with the same
+"jug-jug," but more powerful and sustained. On
+my return to the room after a short absence he
+would greet me with delight, fluttering his outspread
+wings and singing his sweetest song, looking
+intently at me, swaying his head from side to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">p. 83</a></span>
+side, and whilst this ecstasy of song lasted he
+would even refuse to notice his most favourite food,
+as if he must express his joy before appetite could
+be gratified. After a few years he seemed to adopt
+me as a kind of mate! for as spring came round
+he endeavoured to construct a nest by stealing little
+twigs out of the grate and flying with them to a
+chosen retreat behind an ornamental scroll at the top
+of the looking-glass. He spent a great deal of time
+fussing about this nest, which never came to anything,
+but he very obligingly attended to my supposed
+wants by picking up an occasional fly, or
+piece of sugar, and, hovering before me on the
+wing, would endeavour to put it into my mouth;
+or, if he was in his cage, would mince up a spider
+or caterpillar with water, and then, with his beak
+full of the delicious compound, would call and
+chirp unceasingly until I came near and "made
+believe" to taste it, and not till then would he be
+content to enjoy it himself.</p>
+
+<p>During an absence from home, Birdie once escaped
+out of doors, and was seen on the roof
+of the house singing in high glee; the servants
+called him, the cage was put out, but all to no<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">p. 84</a></span>
+purpose, he evidently meant to have "a real good
+time," and kept flying from one tree to another
+until he was a quarter of a mile from home. A
+faithful servant kept him in sight for three hours,
+by which time hunger made him return to our
+garden, where he feasted on some raspberries, took
+a leisurely bath in a tub of water, and at length
+flew in at a bedroom window, where he was safely
+caged. I never knew a bird with so much intelligence,
+one might almost say reasoning power. He
+was once very thirsty after being out of his cage
+for many hours, and at luncheon he went to an
+empty silver spoon and time after time pretended
+to drink, looking fixedly at me as if he felt sure I
+should know what he meant, and waited quietly
+until I put water into the spoon. Another curious
+trait was his sense of humour. Whilst I was
+writing one day he went up to a rose, which was
+at the far end of the table, and began pecking at
+the leaves. I told him not to do it, when, to my
+surprise, he immediately ran the whole length of
+the table and made a scolding noise up in my face,
+and then, just like a naughty child, went back and
+did it again. He would sometimes try to tease<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">p. 85</a></span>
+me away from my writing by taking hold of my
+pen and tugging at a corner of the paper, and
+whenever the terrible operation of cutting his
+claws had to be gone through, he quietly curled up
+his toes and held the scissors with his beak, so that
+it needed two people to circumvent his clever resistance.
+He had wonderfully acute vision, and
+would let me know directly a hawk was in sight,
+though it might be but the merest speck in the sky.
+He once had a narrow escape, for a sparrow-hawk
+made a swoop at him in his cage just outside the
+drawing-room window, and had no one been at
+hand would probably have dragged him through
+the bars. Whenever he saw a jay or magpie, a
+jackdaw or cat, his clicking note always told
+me of some enemy in sight. For many years
+Birdie was my cherished pet, never was there a
+closer friendship. As I passed his cage each night
+I put my hand in to stroke his feathers, and was
+always greeted with a low, murmuring note of
+affection never heard in the daytime.</p>
+
+<p>It was with deep concern that I watched Birdie's
+declining strength; there was no disease, only
+weakness, and at last appetite failed, but even then<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">p. 86</a></span>
+he would take whatever I offered him and hold it
+in his beak as if to show that even to the last he
+would try to please me as far as he could, but he
+wanted nothing but the quiet rest which came at
+length, and dear little Birdie is now only a cherished
+memory of true friendship.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 309px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-023" id="illus-023"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p86.png" alt="" title="" width="309" height="194" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">p. 87</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 309px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-024" id="illus-024"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p87.png" alt="ZÖE, THE NUTHATCH" title="ZÖE, THE NUTHATCH" width="309" height="150" /><br />
+<span class="caption">Z&Ouml;E, THE NUTHATCH.</span>
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="ZOE_THE_NUTHATCH." id="ZOE_THE_NUTHATCH."></a>
+<h2>Z&Ouml;E, THE NUTHATCH.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-a-p87.png" alt="A" title="A" width="71" height="104"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 75px;height: 14px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 82px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 80px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 48px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ VISIT to a bird-dealer's shop always
+awakens a deep feeling of pity in my
+mind as I look at the unhappy, flutter-little
+captives, and think of the breezy
+hill-sides and pleasant lanes from which
+they came, to be shut up in cages a few inches
+square, with but little light, a stifling atmosphere,
+strange diet, and no means of washing their
+ruffled feathers or stretching their wings in flight.
+Truly, they are in evil case, and no wonder so
+many die off within a few days of their capture!
+In some places they are better cared for than in
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">p. 88</a></span>
+others, but in most bird-shops dirt and misery
+seem to prevail amongst the tenants of the cages.</p></div>
+
+<p>One such place I have often visited for the sake
+of meeting with live curios. The owner was a
+kind-hearted woman, and did not intentionally ill-treat
+her live-stock; but the shop was very dark
+and dirty, and one could but wonder how anything
+contrived to live in such close, stivy air. On
+going in one day, I nearly walked over a large, pensive-looking
+duckling which stood in the middle of
+the shop. His brother had been considered suitable
+for the adornment of a table-lamp with a looking-glass
+stand, on which a bright yellow duckling was
+placed, as if swimming on water; this bird, having
+some darker markings, was of no use for that purpose
+and had been allowed to live. He had a
+strange, old-fashioned look, and gave one the impression
+that he was already tired of life and felt
+bored. A lark on its little piece of turf, fluttering
+and looking up for a glimpse of blue sky; a dejected
+robin, with no tail to speak of, and sundry
+other sad-looking specimens met my pitying gaze,
+and I suppose I had caught their sorrowful expression,
+for I was startled by a sharp voice near me,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">p. 89</a></span>
+saying, "What's the matter?" I turned to
+reply, and found the inquiry was made by a grey
+parrot, who introduced himself as "Pretty Poll,"
+and was ready to make friends to any extent.
+But my attention had been caught by seeing what
+looked like a nuthatch: only it was moping and
+ill, with eyes shut and feathers ruffled. I asked
+about it, and was told it had some injury to its
+foot, and was unsaleable, as the woman feared it
+would not live. I made a bid for it, and it was
+accepted. I confess I was not sorry to leave the
+stilling air of the shop and bring my new pet
+home. I fitted up a large cage with pieces of
+wood and tree-bark, a pan for bathing, sand, and
+fine gravel; a bone with a little meat upon it hung
+from the roof of the cage, and other suitable food
+was placed in a tin. The poor birdie was a pitiable
+object for some days; she ate now and then,
+but remained for the most part quite still, with
+closed eyes, from morning till night. Then she
+began to creep up and down the small tree-stem I
+had placed in the cage. She took a bath and
+plumed herself, and in less than a fortnight she
+became quite well and vigorous, and very amusing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">p. 90</a></span>
+in a variety of ways. Never was there a more
+active, busy little creature.</p>
+
+<p>Her characteristic was life, so she was named
+"Z&ouml;e," and before long she seemed to recognize
+her name, and would give an answering chirp.
+The pieces of bark appeared to afford a never-failing
+interest. They were examined and investigated
+in every crevice. Like a little woodpecker
+hanging head downwards, Z&ouml;e would hammer at a
+nut fixed in the cracks of the bark, and would
+hide away unfortunate mealworms not required for
+immediate use.</p>
+
+<p>Z&ouml;e regularly honeycombed the little tree-stem
+with her incessant hammering, and in the numerous
+holes thus made she kept her supply of food. No
+sooner was her tin filled with small pieces of raw
+meat than she began stowing them all away for
+future use. She seemed to exercise a good deal
+of thought about the matter; a morsel would be
+put in and out of a hole half a dozen times before
+it was considered settled and suitable, and then
+it had to be well rammed in and fixed, and off
+went the busy little creature to fetch another
+piece, and so on, till all was disposed of, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">p. 91</a></span>
+the tin left empty. Z&ouml;e was greatly exercised
+by a half-opened Brazil nut: it was too large to
+fix into the bark, it would not keep steady while
+she pecked at it, and yet there were good things
+inside which must be obtained. I watched her
+various devices with great amusement. She hung
+head downwards from the tree-stem and hammered
+at it on the ground, but it shifted about, and she
+made no way; then she carried it in her beak and
+tried fitting it into various places. I hope she did
+not swear at it, but she seemed to think the thing
+was possessed, for it was not like the ordinary
+nuts: she could manage them; they would go
+into holes in the bark; this wouldn't fit anywhere,
+and yet she could not give it up. At last, by a
+bright inspiration, she got it fixed into a space
+between the tree-stem and the side of the cage.
+Now she was in high glee, and all the household
+might have heard the rapping that went on while
+she scooped out the inside and chipped off pieces
+to be hidden carefully away in some secret place.</p>
+
+<p>Z&ouml;e had a cosy nook under a sloping piece of
+bark, to which she would retire at times, and
+sitting down on the bottom of her cage in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">p. 92</a></span>
+shadow, looked like a little grey mouse. When
+appetite brought her out again, she would go to
+her tree-larder and pick out the choice hidden
+morsels, as if they were the insects which would
+have been her food if her lot had been cast
+amongst tree-branches instead of in a cage.</p>
+
+<p>When winter began, Z&ouml;e was placed in the
+conservatory, where a tame robin often came
+for a few hours to enjoy his daily crumbs and
+the pleasant warmth of the air. Bobby was
+greatly puzzled at the nuthatch, watched her
+hammerings from the top of the cage, walked
+round it, surveying the provisions inside, and at
+last he made up his mind to get in somehow
+and partake of the longed-for dainties. I could
+see quite plainly the attraction, the hesitation,
+the pros and cons, and then, finally, the resolve,
+and felt very curious as to how the birdish mind
+would carry out its intention. There was only
+one place, where the bars were rather widely
+apart, so that the nuthatch could have got out
+if she had possessed half the wits of the robin.
+After a quiet survey and a few flights backwards
+and forwards, Bobby saw this place, and made<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">p. 93</a></span>
+towards it, sat and considered for a few seconds,
+and finally went in. The nuthatch was sitting
+quietly under her piece of bark, and did not see
+him; so he picked up the desired morsels, and,
+after a few minutes, went out where it came in.
+These visits he repeated frequently through the
+day, but once I was amused to see that he forgot
+"the way out," and put himself in a great fuss,
+realized that a cage was a prison, and flew up
+and down in a fright, until by chance he saw the
+opening, and glided out. At last Z&ouml;e caught him
+in the act of purloining her goodies, and was
+most indignant. A rush at the thief, with an
+angry chirp, sent Bobby flying away in ignominious
+haste, a wiser, but not a repentant bird;
+for he continued his robberies, only with care to
+avoid being caught; he ventured only a little
+way into the cage, ready to go out at a moment's
+notice.</p>
+
+<p>Z&ouml;e had a good deal of quiet humour, and was
+a character in her way. She considered me very
+attentively one day, with a roguish look in her
+black eyes, and then, going to her tree-stem
+larder, she pulled out a hidden mealworm and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">p. 94</a></span>
+held it up for me to see, with an evident wish
+that I should know about it, and possibly with
+a little birdish triumph that she possessed such
+delights; and then it was put back again and
+well rammed into its crevice until the hungry
+moment should arrive. After a few months Z&ouml;e
+became tame enough to be let out of her cage,
+and would hop quietly about the room, and, like
+a small, grey-coated detective, would peer about
+stealthily under tables and chairs in search of
+live dainties; and extremely pretty she looked
+as she crept up the curtains with jerky motions,
+evidently thinking they were tree-stems where, by
+careful search, delightful centipedes and beetles
+might be found.</p>
+
+<p>I do not know if naturalists have remarked that
+the nuthatch has a very limited range of vision.
+Z&ouml;e could see nothing beyond twelve or fourteen
+inches; the most tempting mealworm might lie
+on the floor of the cage unnoticed if she happened
+to be on her tree-stem; and I have tried
+bringing the insect nearer by degrees, and found
+that only when within a foot of her eyes could
+she see it, and I fancy then only indistinctly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">p. 95</a></span>
+as she would peer about excitedly, as if uncertain
+what it was, until near enough to be in the focus
+of clear vision, and then, by a sudden dart, she
+would seize and flit away with it.</p>
+
+<p>At first Z&ouml;e's roosting-place was under the
+curved piece of bark lying on the floor of her
+cage, but after a time she took up her nightly
+quarters in a small box which hooked on to the
+side of her cage. It was a very cramped and
+uncomfortable lodging, and I wondered how she
+contrived to squeeze into such a small space. It
+occurred to me that a little cocoa-nut with a hole
+at one end would be the sort of sleeping-chamber
+she would prefer, as being most like a hole in a
+tree-stem, in which, probably, nuthatches roost.</p>
+
+<p>An empty cocoa-nut was, therefore, provided.
+With birdish distrust and caution Z&ouml;e only eyed
+it for some days, then perched on it; but finally
+she went in, and it was amusing to see her evident
+delight: how she went incessantly in and out,
+and turned round and round inside, and finally
+sat down and remained in it for an hour or more,
+quite still and happy, peering out at any one
+passing by, her sleek head and neck looking<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">p. 96</a></span>
+remarkably like a snake, and her furtive black
+eye observantly watching all that went on around
+her.</p>
+
+<p>Her cage, when not in the conservatory, was
+placed on a table in the drawing-room, close to
+where I was sitting, and thus she was frequently
+spoken to and noticed, which is one great secret
+in taming birds and animals. They soon learn
+to greet one with some token of recognition,
+and their often solitary lives are brightened and
+cheered by such companionship.</p>
+
+<p>An amusing thing occurred one day while I
+was away from home for a few hours. Z&ouml;e's
+cage had been placed in the sun, and a friend
+of mine, glancing at the bird, saw her in an
+apparently dying state, her head hanging on one
+side, the beak wide open, all the feathers ruffled,
+and the whole aspect of the bird indicating the
+near approach of death. The bell was rung, the
+servants came in, and whispered consultations
+were held as to what could be done, and "What
+would mistress say?" seemed the uppermost
+thought. All at once, Z&ouml;e jumped down and
+began a vigorous hammering at her tree-stem, as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">p. 97</a></span>
+full of life as ever, and she was at once voted
+"a little impostor." When I returned and heard
+the account, it was easy to explain that my
+birdie had been enjoying a sun bath, which
+always gives rise to most lackadaisical positions
+while the state of dreamy absorption lasts.</p>
+
+<p>The mealworms which Z&ouml;e mainly lived upon
+were kept in a tin biscuit-box, which she knew
+well by sight, and one day, being too busy to
+spare time to feed her with them, I opened her
+cage-door and put the box down a little way
+from the cage on the floor, and placed a small
+log of wood for her to descend by. Down she
+came, perched on the edge of the box, looked at
+the layers of flannel which covered her delightful
+worms, and tugged at one corner after another
+till she obtained her prey. After swallowing two
+or three, she thought a little store might be useful,
+and began taking them in her beak, and
+searching for some convenient hiding-places, but
+as I did not desire to have the drawing-room
+neatly ornamented with mealworms, I had to
+prevent that little design being carried out. My
+tiny pet lived happily for about a year, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">p. 98</a></span>
+when the moulting time came she grew weak
+and ill, and did not seem to have strength to
+produce her new plumage; for, in spite of all
+possible care, she drooped and died. She lives
+in my memory as one of the most gentle, innocent
+birdies I have ever had, absolutely without
+temper, contented and cheerful, a perfect pattern
+of industry, chipping out holes in her log of wood,
+and flitting about with a happy little chirp from
+morning till night, a bright example of what a
+cheery life may be lived, even by a caged bird,
+when kindly treated and cared for thoughtfully.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 305px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-025" id="illus-025"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p98.png" alt="NUTHATCH IN A COCOANUT" title="NUTHATCH IN A COCOANUT" width="305" height="183" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">p. 99</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 392px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-026" id="illus-026"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p99.png" alt="TITMICE IN PURSUIT OF BEES" title="TITMICE IN PURSUIT OF BEES" width="392" height="628" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="TITMICE." id="TITMICE."></a>
+TITMICE.
+</div>
+
+<p>
+<img style="float: left;" src="images/illus-i-p98.png" alt="" title="" width="26" height="29"></img>
+MUST own my strong
+liking for these active,
+saucy little birds. For eighteen
+years I have always had a basket
+hung just outside the dining-room
+window containing their favourite
+food, <i>.e.</i>, fat of any kind, cooked
+or uncooked; and most amusing it
+is to watch their little odd ways and
+tempers whilst frequenting the said
+basket. Four species thus studied
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">p. 100</a></span>
+showed distinct characteristics. Directly I put
+out a fresh supply of fat, the Cole Tit would
+spend all his time and energies in carrying it
+away, piece by piece, to lay by in store for the
+future, in crevices in the bark of trees, and this
+work he would carry on with misplaced energy
+until the basket was emptied. The Greater Tit
+and Marsh Tit came quietly for the supply of
+their own personal needs, and to feed their young
+in nesting time, but the Blue Tit was by far the
+most amusing. His attitudes were quite a study;
+he seemed rather to prefer being upside down;
+clinging to the basket and hammering away at
+the hard fat, head downwards, was a favourite
+pose; then, when any one else desired a share,
+he would make a stand with open beak and
+outspread wings and enact "king of the castle"
+in the most impertinent manner, considering his
+tiny dimensions. A guerilla warfare seems always
+going on amongst these Blue Tits. If one was
+in the basket and remaining perfectly still, I knew
+two or three others were meditating a sudden
+combined assault, but it seemed as if the steady
+gaze of the titmouse in possession kept them at</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">p. 101</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 371px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-027" id="illus-027"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p100.png" alt="TITMICE" title="TITMICE" width="371" height="500" /><br />
+<span class="caption">TITMICE.</span>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">p. 102</a></span></p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">p. 103</a></span></p>
+<p class="noindent">bay for a time. At length a twittering scrimmage
+ensued, and the combatants disappeared. I once
+coaxed a Blue Tit to live in the dining-room for
+a few days, and he made himself very happy,
+constantly flitting about in search of insects, running
+up and down the curtains like a veritable
+mouse, alighting on any joint of cold meat which
+happened to be on the sideboard, and making an
+excellent dinner in Bohemian fashion. Of course
+his fearless curiosity led him into difficulties. He
+would sit on the edge of a jug and peer down to
+see what it might contain, and his plumage was
+not improved by the baths of milk or cocoa which
+he met with in the pursuit of knowledge of this
+kind. Some years ago an empty cocoa-husk with
+a hole at one end, furnished with nesting materials,
+was hung up just above the basket of fat. A large
+tit began to build in it, but unhappily for him a
+Blue Tit had also been house-hunting, and determined
+to settle in it. I saw the matter decided
+by a pitched battle between the two; they fought
+desperately, rolling over and over on the lawn,
+pecking, chirping, beating each other with their
+wings, like little feathered furies as they were.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">p. 104</a></span>
+</p>
+
+<p>At last it was ended, and Blue Tit was victor.
+It was pretty to see the tiny pair building their
+nest, with little happy twitterings and confabulations
+over each piece of moss or dried leaf,
+and so fearless were they that a large blind was
+often let down close to and over the husk without
+disturbing the inmates. When the hen bird was
+sitting, the cock would bring a green caterpillar
+for her every four or five minutes, and sometimes
+take her place on the nest. I often took the husk
+down from its nail to show the brave little bird
+sitting on her eggs. If touched she would hiss
+and set up her feathers, but did not leave her nest.
+When the young birds were hatched, the parents
+were incessantly at work from early morning till
+late at night bringing small caterpillars about
+every two minutes to supply the wants of the
+tiny brood. One can judge of the usefulness of
+these birds in ridding our gardens of insect pests
+by the amount consumed by this one pair. By a
+moderate calculation, and judging by what I saw
+one afternoon, I believe they must have brought
+3,570 in the course of one week. At last the day
+came when five little blue heads peeped out of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">p. 105</a></span>
+entrance to the husk. One after another the little
+ones flew into branches near by; the last one I
+held in my hand for a while that I might draw its
+portrait. Fearing it might be hungry if I kept it
+too long, I placed it in a cage on the lawn, where
+the old birds found it and fed it for me through
+the bars. I then brought it in again, and having
+finished its likeness, had the pleasure of restoring
+it to its parents. The Blue and Cole Tit often
+choose the inside of a disused pump as their
+nesting-place. A Cole Tit built in an old pump
+in our grounds for many years, the curved spout
+being its mode of ingress and egress. I could
+open a small door and look at the pretty little hen
+on her nest, and then at her numerous family, and
+watch their growth till old enough to fly. Certainly
+young birds show a grand lesson of obedience,
+for creeping out into the world through
+a dark, curved pipe, must have seemed a rather
+perilous mode of exit. Another less fortunate
+Cole Tit built in a post-box placed by a garden
+gate, and seemed in no way disconcerted when
+letters came in suddenly around and upon her. She
+usually laid eighteen eggs in a deep, soft nest of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">p. 106</a></span>
+moss and hair. As boys were apt to take this
+nest year after year, a lock was placed to the box
+to protect the little bird; but the genus boy has
+no pity, and through the slit for the letters, some
+cruel urchin, vexed at not being able to take the
+nest, put in a stick and killed the poor little
+mother and broke the eggs. For several years a
+Blue Tit chose to build her nest in the lower part
+of a stone vase in the garden. There was a hole
+for drainage in the bottom, and through this hole
+the little bird found a circular space just suited
+for her nest. That particular vase could not be
+filled with plants till long after all the rest were
+gay with flowers. We were obliged to wait till
+the domestic affairs of the Tit family were ended,
+else their fate would have been sad indeed. There
+is no doubt that these birds do contrive to secure
+their share of peas and other things in the kitchen
+garden, and are by no means favourites with the
+gardeners, but I still maintain that the good they
+do in destroying insects counterbalances their evil
+doings in other respects. However, they sometimes
+commit other misdemeanours. My head
+gardener came to me one day looking very serious,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">p. 107</a></span>
+and began by asking what he was to do about
+"those Blue Tits." "Why, what have they been
+doing?" I asked. "Two of them have been
+sitting at the entrance of one of the hives, and
+they have picked off and killed every bee as it
+came out, and now they have begun upon a second
+hive." "Well, you had better hang up some
+potatoes stuck over with feathers, and that will
+frighten them away." "I've done that, ma'am,
+and they sit on the potatoes and look at me!"
+It was a trying case of utter contumacy, and at
+last I was obliged, for the sake of saving my bees,
+to let one little victim be shot and hung up as "an
+awful example" to the rest, and it proved an
+effectual remedy. My basket of fat used to prove
+very attractive all through the cold weather, when,
+I suppose, these tiny birds need the caloric it
+supplies; they always left off coming as soon as
+the days were warm and insects plentiful.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 239px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-028" id="illus-028"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p107.png" alt="" title="" width="239" height="78" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">p. 108</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 347px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-029" id="illus-029"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p108.png" alt="BLANCHE THE PIGEON" title="BLANCHE THE PIGEON" width="347" height="215" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="BLANCHE_THE_PIGEON." id="BLANCHE_THE_PIGEON."></a>
+<h2>BLANCHE, THE PIGEON.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-p-p108.png" alt="P" title="P" width="72" height="103"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 74px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 60px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 50px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 35px;height: 12px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+IGEONS possess a great deal more
+individuality of character than any one
+would suppose who has only seen them
+in flocks picking up grain in a farmyard,
+like domestic fowls.</p></div>
+
+<p>They show to better advantage when only a few
+pairs are kept and fed daily at some settled place;
+but to make really interesting pets two are quite
+sufficient, and may be made very amusing companions.
+Some species may possess more mental
+capacity than others. Those I have to speak of
+were snow-white trumpeters. A pair was sent to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">p. 109</a></span>
+me, but, to my sorrow, I found on opening the
+basket that the male bird had escaped on the way;
+so I could only put the solitary hen in a cage, and
+do all that was possible in the way of plentiful
+food and kind care to make her happy; but all
+to no purpose. The poor bird pined and grew
+weaker every day, till she became unable to get
+up to her perch. I used, therefore, to go to her
+every evening and place her comfortably for the
+night; and she soon grew tame enough to like
+being caressed and talked to. When spring returned
+I obtained a male pigeon, and hoped
+Blanche would accept him for a mate, but she
+showed a great deal of temper, and made him so
+unhappy that he had to be exchanged for another&mdash;a
+fine snow-white bird like herself, and, happily,
+of such a forbearing disposition as to endure
+being considerably "hen-pecked." Now began the
+curious part of Blanche's history. The pair built
+a nest in a small pigeon-house close to my window,
+so that I was able to watch all the family
+arrangements with much interest. Blanche liked
+to be with me for some hours in the morning,
+sitting on the table pluming herself, quite at ease,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">p. 110</a></span>
+and when that operation was ended she generally
+seated herself on a large Bible which lay at one
+end of the dining-table, and there she usually
+went to sleep; a white dove resting on the Word
+suggested to one's mind many a beautiful emblematic
+thought. These visits to me were paid
+most regularly when a nest was finished and the eggs
+were being hatched; she then shared the duties of
+incubation by turns with her mate. He would sit
+patiently for four hours on the nest, while Blanche
+spent that time with me; then, punctually at the
+right moment, she would wake up, and, lazily
+stretching her wings, would fly out at the open
+window to see how affairs were getting on at
+home, and take her place on the nest for her
+appointed four hours.</p>
+
+<p>She was a most eccentric bird in the matter of
+laying eggs. I sometimes found she had made
+me a present of one, neatly placed amongst my
+working materials! In fact, wherever she happened
+to be upon the table would be deemed by
+her a suitable place for laying; and, as I always
+conveyed the eggs to her nest, her little freaks did
+not much matter. But at last she took it into her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">p. 111</a></span>
+wilful little head to lay her eggs in the coal-scoop,
+an arrangement which by no means improved
+her snowy plumage. She had a pretty crest,
+which curved over her head, and her feet were
+clothed with rather long feathers reaching to the
+claws. At our breakfast-time she would often sit
+close to my plate, letting me stroke her and draw
+out her pretty wings. I must own she was as
+conceited as any peacock, throwing herself on her
+side and stretching out a feathered foot, little
+dreaming how she was being laughed at for her
+affected attitudes. If she had a fault, it was her
+temper! I have seen her go up to her mate
+and give him a most uncalled-for peck, and he&mdash;amiable
+bird!&mdash;would bear all her unkindness so
+meekly, only answering by a propitiatory coo.
+Blanche reared many sons and daughters, but
+none were so interesting as herself. I ascribe
+her unusual tameness to the loving care bestowed
+upon her in her long illness. When once a bird's
+affections are won in that way they generally
+remain firm friends for life.</p>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">p. 112</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 358px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-030" id="illus-030"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p112.png" alt="GERBILLES" title="GERBILLES" width="358" height="250" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="GERBILLES." id="GERBILLES."></a>
+<h2>GERBILLES.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-t-p112.png" alt="T" title="T" width="69" height="118"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+  <div style="width: 68px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 68px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 55px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 35px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ HESE curious little animals were
+brought to my notice by a scientific
+friend who had seen them at the
+Zoological Gardens, and heard that they
+were to be obtained there by applying to
+Mr. Bartlett.</p></div>
+
+<p>As I always regretted the untimely death of my
+pet jerboa, I thought these little rodents would fill
+his place, and prove amusing pets. And, accordingly,
+I paid a visit to the Zoo, and found a whole
+colony of gerbilles of all ages living very amicably
+together in a large, strongly-built wooden box, with
+bran, oats, and nuts for provender.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">p. 113</a></span></p>
+<p>It was no easy matter to secure a pair of suitable
+size and age. I could but admire the patience of
+the attendant who made persevering attempts to
+catch the nimble creatures for me, but they leaped
+and sprang about, darted through his fingers,
+disappeared into holes, and seemed to enjoy his
+discomfiture. At length a lively pair, with sleek
+skins and perfect tails, were securely caged.</p>
+
+<p>Then I was warned to keep them in a tin-lined
+cage, as they would "gnaw through anything," even
+the solid teak chest in which they were kept was
+being rapidly demolished by their powerful incisors.</p>
+
+<p>The gerbilles were placed in a plant case, four
+feet long, with glass sides and top, through which
+their gambols could easily be seen. The case had
+a glass partition, and on one side lived a pair of
+chipmunks, or striped American squirrels. They
+were highly incensed at their new neighbours,
+springing with all their force against the partition,
+with low growlings, casting up the cocoa fibre with
+their hind legs, as if to try and hide them from
+their view. They soon found a little chink, through
+which, I am afraid, some very strong language was
+launched at the new-comers.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">p. 114</a></span></p>
+<p>Happily the gerbilles did not mind. They found
+delightful tree-roots to gnaw at, plenty of food, and
+freedom to frisk and frolic to their heart's content, so
+their neighbours were free to growl as much as they
+liked, and they in their turn raised a hill of fibre
+and played at hide-and-seek in their new domain.</p>
+
+<p>But let me now describe these gerbilles. I believe
+there are several species, differing somewhat
+in appearance. These were fawn-coloured, with
+sleek, soft fur, which, like the chinchilla, was blueish
+next to the skin. They were about the size of
+small rats, with little ears and long tails, with a
+black tuft at the end. The fur was white underneath,
+the eyes jet black and very large, and long
+black whiskers, which were always in motion. The
+hind legs being longer than the front ones, enabled
+the creature to spring and leap along the ground
+with great rapidity, as I found to my cost one
+night, when five of them got out of their case and
+gave us an hour's occupation before they could
+be recaptured. One managed to get inside an
+American organ, and effectually baffled all our
+efforts to secure him. There was no help for it
+he had to be left there, and I went away with an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">p. 115</a></span>
+anxious mind as to what his busy teeth would be
+employed upon all night; and, sure enough, next
+morning a velvet curtain was found nibbled and
+tattered, and being converted into a nest for the
+enterprising gerbille! They became very amusing,
+tame little creatures, ready to take dandelions, nuts,
+or any little dainty, from one's hand.</p>
+
+<p>As they breed very readily in England, I was
+soon presented with a little family of five very
+tiny, pinkish-coloured infants, quite blind, and
+destitute of hair. They were not attractive, and
+so were left to their mother's care till they could
+see and were properly clothed, and then they were
+extremely pretty, and rapidly developed all the
+habits and manners of their parents, gnawing wood,
+nibbling nuts, and having merry games of their
+own, darting with wonderful quickness in and out
+of the tree-roots, and getting up small battles for
+some coveted morsel of diet. The first pair were
+quiet enough, and agreed happily together, but
+when, later on, mother and daughter happened to
+have a little brood at the same time, things became
+complicated, and it was no uncommon sight tosee
+the two mothers careering about, each with an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">p. 116</a></span>
+infant in its mouth, and it often fell to my lot to
+take care of the unfortunate children and replace
+them in the nest whilst the mothers had a "stand-up"
+fight, and this is a literally true expression,
+for gerbilles sit bolt upright and fight each other
+with their front feet; but, though they appear to
+be in desperate conflict, I must say I never saw
+that any damage was done. As to their gnawing
+power, it is almost beyond description. I gave
+them a strong wooden box as a nursery for the
+young gerbilles, but before long they had eaten
+out the back and sides, and a mere skeleton of a
+box remained. There was a piece of zinc, which
+formed a partition, but they ate a hole right through
+the zinc in no time, and when a wire cage, with a
+sliding door, was placed in the plant case, they soon
+learnt how to lift up the door and get out. We
+often watched the formation of the family nest,
+which was constructed of wool and hay nibbled
+very small, and carried by mouthfuls and woven
+together. It generally had two outlets for ingress
+and egress. There the entire family would sleep
+during the day amicably enough, but towards
+evening the nursery disputes would begin, and old<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">p. 117</a></span>
+animosities led to frequent battles and scrimmages,
+because somebody wanted some one else's pieces of
+wool for the precious infants. Still they were
+very tame, amusing little creatures, liking to be
+stroked and fed and rewarded by a run upon the
+breakfast-table, where they would examine every
+dish and plate in a delicate, inquiring way, not
+touching the contents&mdash;only trying to add to their
+small amount of knowledge of the outside world.
+Their food consisted of bran, oats, pea-nuts, wheat,
+fresh dandelion and clover-leaves, and on these they
+lived in perfect health and beauty.</p>
+
+<p>As the colony increased, it was needful to make
+several homes for the gerbilles, and the original
+pair happened to be, for a time, in a cage upstairs
+on a landing. One of these found its way out
+of the cage, down the stairs, across the hall, and
+was discovered next morning in a room where the
+younger members of the family were kept. This
+would go to prove a keen scent, which, I suppose,
+guided the little animal to find its friends, and
+also confirms what travellers have written about
+gerbilles living in large colonies and always keeping
+together.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">p. 118</a></span></p>
+<p>One evening I had to read some natural history
+papers at a Band of Mercy meeting in a neighbouring
+village, where the clergyman's wife took great
+interest in promoting kindness to animals, and as
+I proposed speaking about the gerbilles, I thought
+I would take some of them with me to show the
+children. Accordingly a mother and four little
+ones, were put into a cage with some food and
+bedding for their comfort whilst being exhibited.
+I was concerned to see the extreme terror they
+seemed to feel at the unusual motion of the carriage,
+and in a few minutes one became convulsed
+and literally died of fright. I held the cage in
+my lap, and talked to the others to reassure them,
+fearing more casualties, but after a while they
+settled down, and we reached the schoolroom in
+due time. I was scarcely prepared for the tremendous
+sensation the gerbilles created. Remarks
+in broad Hertfordshire greeted their appearance.
+"Whoy, here's a lot of moise." "Noa, they ain't;
+they's rats!" "Will they boite?" and then such a
+cluster of children came round me they had to be
+called to order, and the cage was carried round
+that all might see the little foreigners, and through<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">p. 119</a></span>
+all the after-proceedings many pairs of eyes remained
+fixed upon the cage and its inmates. I
+fancy that evening will long be remembered by
+the children.</p>
+
+<p>The great difficulty that attends the keeping
+of these little animals is their rapid rate of increase.
+It is true they can all be kept together,
+for, as I have said, though there are squabbles they
+do not result in any personal injury, and thus my
+colony was allowed to go on till there was no
+counting the number of generations that existed.
+I very much wished to reduce the numbers, and
+give some away, but could never tell which were
+the mothers of the small pink infants I was being
+presented with continually. I tried putting a little
+family of the babies into a cage in the plant case,
+hoping the mother who belonged to them would
+then appear and take care of them; but no, the
+entire colony trooped in and ran riot in the new
+place, and if a young gerbille was by chance left
+uncovered in the <i>mel&eacute;e</i>, a twentieth cousin would
+take it up tenderly as if it was its own mother, and
+replace it in the nest&mdash;a very emblem of brotherly
+kindness and charity. The colony had finally to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">p. 120</a></span>
+be dispersed and given away in small detachments
+to different friends, and, strange to say, in no other
+case did the numbers increase, I imagine because
+the requisite conditions of space and quietness
+were not realized as in the pleasant home I was
+able to provide for them.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 317px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-031" id="illus-031"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p120.png" alt="" title="" width="317" height="247" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">p. 121</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-032" id="illus-032"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p121.png" alt="" title="" width="300" height="172" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="WATER_SHREWS." id="WATER_SHREWS."></a>
+<h2>WATER SHREWS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-h-p121.png" alt="H" title="H" width="72" height="104"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+<div style="width: 75px"></div>
+<div style="width: 75px"></div>
+<div style="width: 75px;height: 12px"></div>
+<div style="width: 55px;height: 16px"></div>
+<div style="width: 55px;height: 16px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ EARING that the little patients in a
+London hospital had scarcely any toys,
+and that they especially desired a very
+large doll, I had one dressed for them,
+and various other interesting items, such
+as an album of pictures, bags of shells, a stamp
+snake, &amp;c., were prepared; but a large box was
+needed in which to pack all these treasures; and
+one which had been for months in the wine-cellar
+was brought up for that purpose into the hall.</p></div>
+
+<p>It was filled with straw, and as I was watching
+this being taken out I noticed some small black
+animals darting about in it.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">p. 122</a></span></p>
+<p>"They must be young rats," I exclaimed, "and
+the rare kind, too&mdash;the black rat, which has been
+almost entirely eradicated by the stronger brown
+species." A curious instance, by the way, of a
+foreign interloper driving out the native.</p>
+
+<p>I immediately resolved to secure these animals,
+whatever they might prove to be, and, armed with
+leather gloves, and an empty glass globe to place
+my captures in, I began to search in the straw,
+and soon secured the supposed rats, but they
+proved to be a pair of water shrews&mdash;jet black,
+lively little creatures, with sharply-pointed snouts
+and teeth, as I soon discovered to my cost. I had
+taken off my gloves and was watching the activity
+of the shrews, when suddenly they flew upon each
+other, biting and screaming with rage, and, thinking
+they would kill each other at that rate, I tried to
+separate them, but one turned and bit me pretty
+severely, and it was with some difficulty they were
+parted. One I put into a zinc fern case, and the
+other into a large empty aquarium, with shingle at
+the bottom, moss and wool for bedding, and a
+large pan of water for swimming and bathing.</p>
+
+<p>They were rather larger than the common mouse,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">p. 123</a></span>
+jet black above, and greyish-white beneath&mdash;restless,
+active creatures, usually found near ponds and
+ditches; and how ever these two had found their
+way into a dry cellar, and lived in a box of straw
+will always remain a mystery. I learnt from books
+that they fed on worms and insects, and that diet
+was provided, though much to my distress, for it is
+a miserable thing to see any living creature tortured
+and devoured alive, even though it may be in
+obedience to natural instincts. Happily I soon
+found a substitute. I was showing one of the
+shrews to a fellow-student of natural history, and
+with a long feather soon attracted the little animal's
+attention; he always came out of his bed and
+sprang upon the feather like a little tiger, dragging
+it about and holding on with the grip of a bull-dog,
+so that one could lift him off the ground and keep
+him swinging a minute in the air to see the pretty
+white fur underneath. My friend suggested that it
+probably fed on small birds and thought the feather
+was part of its daily fare.</p>
+
+<p>I obtained a fowl's head from the larder, and
+then it was a sight to see how it was pounced
+upon and dragged about until securely hidden<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">p. 124</a></span>
+under the moss, when we could hear our little
+friend crunching the bones and tearing it to pieces
+as if he had not had anything so good for a long
+while.</p>
+
+<p>One shrew died in a few days, but the other
+lived three weeks in perfect health, and I believe
+it was an accidental failure of sufficient food that
+led to the death of the second; their appetite
+seems to be, like that of the mole, most voracious,
+and unless they obtain a constant and ample supply
+of food they quickly die of hunger.</p>
+
+<p>They are worth studying for a few days, but
+their dreadful odour and fierce character make
+them anything but pets. I suppose there is hardly
+any animal in England so fierce and combative,
+and probably that may account for the fact that
+one so often comes across a dead shrew lying on
+the path in summer.</p>
+
+<p>When swimming, the shrew's furry coat perfectly
+resisted the entrance of moisture; it always came
+out absolutely dry. The said coat was most carefully
+kept in order; a daily brushing and cleansing
+went on, the little tongue was often at work licking
+off every little speck of dust; the toes were spread<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">p. 125</a></span>
+out and examined; the small amount of tail kept
+in order. I could but think how many a lesson
+we may learn from the small as well as the great
+creations of God's hand&mdash;habits such as this little
+animal possessed might, in the way of cleanliness,
+lead to the prevention of endless diseases, if imitated
+by those who never dream of daily cleansings
+as being necessary to health and life.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 298px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-033" id="illus-033"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p125.png" alt="WATER SHREW" title="WATER SHREW" width="298" height="196" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">p. 126</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 318px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-034" id="illus-034"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p126.png" alt="SQUIRREL" title="SQUIRREL" width="318" height="154" /><br />
+<span class="caption">SQUIRREL.</span>
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="SQUIRRELS." id="SQUIRRELS."></a>
+<h2>SQUIRRELS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-i-p126.png" alt="I" title="I" width="63" height="100"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+    <div style="width: 67px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 63px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 55px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 27px; height: 9px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ F one lives in the country where these
+graceful little animals exist, it is well
+worth while to attract them near the
+house so that one may enjoy the sight
+their gambols and minister to their
+wants by suitable diet. As I have already said,
+for many years food was placed in a basket outside
+the dining-room window to attract the charming
+little titmice, and four species might be seen
+feasting on fat of different kinds. I placed
+Barcelona nuts for the nuthatches, and they
+came and shared the contents of the basket with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">p. 127</a></span>
+the tits. The nuts also drew a squirrel to the spot,
+and after about a year, the little fellow became
+so used to seeing us moving in the room that
+he would sit in the basket with his graceful little
+tail curved over his back, cracking his nuts, and
+nibbling away quite at ease. Then the window
+was opened and the nuts put on a table inside
+the room, and there little "Frolic" sits whilst
+we are at meals and forms one of the family,
+holding his nuts cleverly in his paws, whilst
+his sharp teeth bite a hole in them, and, regardless
+of tidiness, he flings the shells about as he
+nibbles at the kernels, looking at us with his
+black, beady eyes, perhaps speculating upon what
+our breakfast may be. How much more enjoyable
+is this sort of pet than a poor caged squirrel
+whirling round in his wheel, condemned to a
+dreary life, with no freedom or change, no intercourse
+with his kind.</p></div>
+
+<p>In town there is, perhaps, no way to keep a
+squirrel but in a cage; even so, by an occasional
+release from its captivity, a constant variety in
+its food, and its being talked to and noticed, its
+life may be made less irksome, and, if young, it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">p. 128</a></span>
+may eventually be made quite tame, and become
+an interesting daily companion.</p>
+
+<p>We derived great amusement from our squirrel
+visitors; one after another they would leap up
+the side of the window and spring in and out
+of the basket in quick succession, carrying away
+a nut at each visit, playing and skirmishing with
+each other in lively fashion. I am sorry to
+confess there was great jealousy amongst them.
+A second squirrel took to coming into the room,
+and Frolic and he had a pitched battle, in which
+our favourite, poor little fellow! lost half his ear,
+and a sponge and water were needed to efface
+the sanguinary stains left by the fight.</p>
+
+<p>The squirrel's great enemy is the cat. One would
+not think she could catch the agile little creature;
+but one day we saw a cat watching an unconscious
+little squirrel under the tulip-tree: we did not
+dream that she could harm it, but in a moment
+she made one swift rush at her prey. The squirrel
+ran at full speed, but alas! before we could interfere
+it was caught and carried away.</p>
+
+<p>At Dropmore, the gardener told us he had a
+cat that kept the Pinetum quite clear of squirrels.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">p. 129</a></span>
+They certainly nibble the young shoots of firs and
+horse-chestnuts unmercifully in the spring, and
+one very dry summer they took very kindly to
+our peaches and nectarines; but I freely forgive
+their little sins, and should be sorry to miss
+them from the lawn where there are often four
+or five to be seen at once.</p>
+
+<p>They chase each other round a tree-stem with
+wonderful agility, and express their animosity
+with angry grunts and a stamp of the foot like
+a rabbit. In autumn I have acorns and beech-mast
+collected, and store some bushels of each
+to be doled out through the winter and spring;
+strewn under the tulip-tree this food, mixed
+with corn, attracts an amusing variety of live
+creatures. Besides the squirrels which are
+constantly there, we see jays, wood-pigeons,
+jackdaws, rooks, and flocks of the smaller birds;
+if snow should prevail, a whole rookery will
+come to see what is to be had. By constantly
+watching their movements I have learnt that the
+squirrel's tail has quite a language of its own.
+It can be curved over its back and so spread
+out that on a wet day it forms a complete<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">p. 130</a></span>
+shelter from rain. It will take the form of a
+note of interrogation or lie flat on the ground,
+stand out at an angle or bristle with anger,
+according to the mood of the possessor.</p>
+
+<p>I did not find the American chipmunks, before
+alluded to, at all tameable. They were very handsome,
+of grey colour with dark brown stripes on
+their sides.</p>
+
+<p>They were extremely wild, and would spring
+round their cage in perfect terror when looked
+at, so, finding they could not be made happy in
+confinement, I let them loose in the garden in
+the hope they might burrow under a large rhododendron
+clump, but after a day or two they disappeared,
+and I suppose they made their escape
+to a neighbouring wood, so that I have little hope
+of ever seeing them again.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 307px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-035" id="illus-035"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p130.png" alt="" title="" width="307" height="86" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">p. 131</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 287px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-036" id="illus-036"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p131.png" alt="MOLE" title="MOLE" width="287" height="212" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="A_MOLE." id="A_MOLE."></a>
+<h2>A MOLE.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-a-p131.png" alt="A" title="A" width="71" height="104"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 75px;height: 14px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 82px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 80px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 48px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ LIVE mole above-ground is a somewhat
+rare sight, for, as a rule, his
+habits are altogether subterranean;
+but now and then he may be
+captured by a sudden grasp as he
+scrambles along in his odd, unwieldly fashion,
+and a curious fellow he is in many ways.</p></div>
+
+<p>Strolling quietly along a country lane one
+summer's evening, I heard a great rustling in
+a dry ditch, the dead leaves were being scattered
+right and left, and I stopped to see what could
+be the cause. In a minute the black velvet coat<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">p. 132</a></span>
+of a mole appeared, and I at once resolved to
+endeavour to catch it, though with little hope
+of success, for the creature is apt to dive into
+the ground in an instant when alarmed. However,
+watching my opportunity, I managed to seize and
+hold him firmly; but I had nothing to put him
+in, and he struggled furiously to escape. All I
+could do was to roll him up in one end of my
+black lace shawl and hurry home with my
+capture. Alas! for the unlucky shawl&mdash;the mole
+soon began rending and tearing it into shreds
+with his powerful feet and teeth. I was rapidly
+becoming acquainted with the habits of moles,
+and in a way that I should not soon forget; still,
+that mole must be brought home somehow, and
+I next transferred him to my dress pocket, which
+I held fast, whilst he scrambled and pushed his
+strong little snout in all directions to find some
+way of escape. He was soon placed in a zinc
+fern case, with glass sides, supplied with earth to
+burrow in, and fed with worms. I also gave
+him a pan of water, as I remembered seeing a plan
+of a mole's burrow which always includes a place
+for water. It was a really painful sight to watch<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">p. 133</a></span>
+the creature feeding; he pounced upon a worm
+with the fury of a tiger, and holding it in his
+mouth, tore it to pieces with his sharp claws
+and rapidly devoured all the pieces, and snuffing
+about to make sure he had quite finished it, he
+then darted off to seek another. The mole has
+a most voracious appetite and dies very quickly
+if unable to obtain food. I was interested to
+watch the bustling, active life of the little
+creature; his morning toilet when the black
+velvet coat was attended to, carefully brushed
+and licked by a tiny red tongue (though it
+never seemed to pick up dirt or defilement in
+its passage through the earth) and finally, after
+a few days, I had the pleasure of setting him
+free, when he dived into the ground out of
+sight in a moment.</p>
+
+<p>Some years later a live mole was much desired
+by a young relative who was giving Natural
+History lectures to some school children. It
+happened that a mole had found its way into
+the conservatory and was doing much damage
+there by making its runs close to the surface
+and uprooting the plants in its course. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">p. 134</a></span>
+gardener and I resolved to catch it; he was
+anxious to prevent further mischief to his plants,
+and I was wishing to help the lecturer by sending
+a lively specimen to illustrate his subject.
+The exciting part of the business was the
+necessity of making the capture before eleven
+o'clock, when the carrier would pass by, and,
+taking charge of the animal, would deliver it in
+time for the lecture next day. We watched for
+the upheaving of the mole's run which came at
+last. The gardener made a quick plunge with
+his hand into the soft earth, but alas! the mole
+escaped. He kept quiet for ten minutes, then
+another attempt was made, and failed. The
+carrier's bell sounded and he passed by. I still
+kept watch, and again saw the earth move&mdash;the
+third time was successful. I had gone to find
+a tin box, and on my return I was greeted with
+"Here's the mole, ma'am!" Poor fellow! he was
+being ignominiously held up by the scruff of his
+neck, and kicking furiously at the indignity. He
+was soon packed up in soft grass, with a plentiful
+supply of worms to feast upon by the way.
+A special messenger overtook the carrier, and a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">p. 135</a></span>
+telegram was sent to announce the dispatch of
+the precious animal.</p>
+
+<p>He first reached a London office, where I fear
+he tended to hinder business, as it was needful
+to transfer him to a cage, and no one seemed
+particularly anxious for the honour of catching
+him, as his teeth were known to be both sharp and
+numerous, and his disposition not of the meekest.
+However, he was placed in his cage, travelled
+down into Kent, and gave wonderful pleasure
+when exhibited to the children.</p>
+
+<p>One would naturally suppose that in a country
+village where boys and girls are daily going to and
+from school, they would all have been familiar
+with this little creature, but when the question
+was asked if they had ever seen a dead mole,
+only fifteen children out of ninety had seen one,
+and only three had ever seen a live one.</p>
+
+<p>Next day the mole was let loose upon a
+very hard piece of ground, but even there he
+very quickly burrowed out of sight.</p>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">p. 136</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 305px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-037" id="illus-037"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p136.png" alt="" title="" width="305" height="154" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="HARVEST_MICE." id="HARVEST_MICE."></a>
+<h2>HARVEST MICE.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-i-p136.png" alt="I" title="I" width="57" height="98"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+    <div style="width: 67px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 63px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 55px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 27px; height: 9px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ HAD often wished to keep these interesting
+little animals, but as they are
+only found in some parts of England
+and are difficult to capture from their
+minute size and delicacy, I had to wait
+many years before they could be obtained. At
+length, through the kindness of a friend, six were
+sent to me from Norfolk, and for two years they
+lived in captivity and afforded me much pleasure.</p></div>
+
+<p>They are the smallest English rodents, two of
+them only weighing a halfpenny; they are brown
+in colour with white underneath, very long<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">p. 137</a></span>
+whiskers and prehensile tails. They were made
+happy by finding all things needful for their
+comfort in a large plant case. A thick layer of
+cocoa fibre was spread over the bottom of the
+case, dry moss and hay provided, wheat-ears, oats,
+and canary seed, and a small cup of water. A
+flowerpot in which a number of small branches
+were fixed afforded opportunity for exercise in
+climbing, and a pleasant resting-place was formed
+by a half-cocoanut filled with cotton-wool and
+roofed over with dry moss, then slung by three
+wires in a tripod of sticks of corky-barked elm,
+a little hole for entrance being left at one side.
+Into this the mice went the moment they were
+turned into the case, and in it they mostly lived.
+I fancy its swinging a little as they moved inside
+was congenial to their ideas of comfort. As they
+live in cornfields and make a pendulous nest
+attached to an ear of corn, I supplied them with
+a pot of growing wheat, in the hope that they
+would incline to make a nest in it; but I could
+never induce them to rear a family. They would
+sit for hours in the corn-stalks and nibble them
+into a heap of shreds, but no nest ever appeared.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">p. 138</a></span>
+Their greatest delight was a handful of fresh
+moss full of little insects on which they would
+feed. The greatest excitement was always shown
+when the moss appeared&mdash;little heads would peep
+out of the cocoa-husk, little noses sniffed in all
+directions, and then, with jerky runs, the tiny folk
+made their way to the attractive spot, and soon
+each would be seen sitting up like a small
+kangaroo feasting on a beetle or spider held in
+the tiny paws. Sometimes in their great happiness
+they made a low, sweet chirping like a company
+of wrens conversing cheerily together. When
+climbing in their tree-branches it was interesting
+to see how the fine wiry tail was always coiled
+round the stem as the creature descended, so as
+to keep it from falling and injuring itself.</p>
+
+<p>Canary seed and brown bread seemed a
+favourite diet, and if I put a trough of growing
+corn into the case the mice made little burrows
+through it so as to be able to eat the wheat from
+below. I had heard a sad report that my fairy-like
+pets had a tendency to eat each other as
+spring came round! This I fancied might arise
+from lack of animal food, so once or twice a week<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">p. 139</a></span>
+I always gave them a small portion of meat and
+this seemed to prevent any tendency to cannibalism.</p>
+
+<p>After keeping them two years several deaths
+occurred, so I thought the remainder should have
+their liberty, and I had the pleasure of seeing
+them enter one of my corn-stacks where I hope
+they found all that their little hearts could desire,
+and possibly they would stray to a neighbouring
+bank and found a colony.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 302px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-038" id="illus-038"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p139.png" alt="" title="" width="302" height="206" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">p. 140</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 287px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-039" id="illus-039"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p140.png" alt="MICE" title="MICE" width="287" height="121" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="THE_CALIFORNIAN_MOUSE." id="THE_CALIFORNIAN_MOUSE."></a>
+<h2>THE CALIFORNIAN MOUSE.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-a-p140.png" alt="A" title="A" width="71" height="104"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 75px;height: 14px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 82px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 80px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 48px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ RATHER strange parcel from California
+reached me by post some years
+ago. It was marked "Live animals
+with care," and consisted of a box, containing
+several divisions, each having
+fine wire-work to admit air. In one I found a
+spiny creature called a Gecko, in another a beautiful
+lizard which had not survived the journey, and
+in the third a very rare species of mouse known as
+<i>Perognathus Pencillatus</i>. It has a soft silky coat
+of silver grey and fawn colour, and a long tail
+with a little tuft at the end, very large black eyes<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">p. 141</a></span>
+and white paws. It was alive, but weak and tired
+with its journey of ten days and all the jars and
+shocks it must have had by the way. I gave it
+warm milk and soaked bread, which it seemed to
+enjoy, and some hours later it was supplied with
+wheat grains, the food upon which it lives in its
+native country.</p></div>
+
+<p>True to his natural instinct, mousie soon began
+to fill both his cheek pouches with the corn, and
+tried to hide it away as a supply for the future.
+In a few days the little creature was in perfect
+health, and he has been a great pet now for several
+years; perfectly tame and gentle, he will run about
+on the table and amuse himself happily wherever
+he is placed.</p>
+
+<p>Being entirely inodorous he is kept in the
+drawing-room in a mahogany cage which was
+made specially to meet his small requirements.
+He is a busy little creature at night, as he likes
+daily to make a fresh bed of cotton-wool, and
+fusses about with his mouth full of material until
+he has arranged his little couch.</p>
+
+<p>In his own country, where the cold is very
+severe in winter, its habit is to become perfectly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">p. 142</a></span>
+unconscious, exactly as if dead, and in that state
+it can endure the rigour of the climate and wake
+up when the temperature rises. It was once left
+in a cold room and became in this apparently
+lifeless state. I was not alarmed, as I knew of its
+peculiarity, but it really was difficult to believe it
+ever could revive; there was no trace of warmth,
+or any apparent beating of the heart, and so it
+lay for some days, but on bringing it into a warm
+room it became as bright and active as ever. It
+seems a more intense form of hibernation than that
+of our squirrel and dormouse.</p>
+
+<p>The naturalist at San Bernardino, from whom
+I obtained this mouse, told me he had kept one
+as a pet for many years, and his specimen lived
+entirely without water; as there was sufficient
+moisture in the wheat grains on which it fed to
+supply its need; but I think it is cruel to keep
+anything without the means of quenching thirst
+which might arise from an artificial mode of life,
+so my little pet has always a small jar of water
+to which I know it resorts from its requiring to
+be refilled from time to time.</p>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">p. 143</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 325px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-040" id="illus-040"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p143.png" alt="" title="" width="325" height="159" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="SANCHO_THE_TOAD." id="SANCHO_THE_TOAD."></a>
+<h2>SANCHO THE TOAD.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-a-p143.png" alt="A" title="A" width="71" height="104"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 75px;height: 14px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 82px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 80px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 48px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ BOUT four years ago I began to feed
+a toad that had found its way into
+the conservatory. He sat daily in
+one place expecting his meal-worms,
+and when he had snapped them up
+with his curious sticky tongue he would retire
+to some hidden nook and be invisible until the
+next day. Each winter he has hibernated as
+soon as cold weather began, and reappeared with
+the spring sunshine. Sancho is now a very portly,
+and most amusing pet.</p></div>
+
+<p>Few people would guess how much character<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">p. 144</a></span>
+can be shown by even this poor, despised reptile
+when treated with real kindness, regularly fed,
+and never frightened or abused. I will describe
+what happens when Sancho is "shown to the
+public."</p>
+
+<p>Some meal-worms are thrown on the pavement
+near him. He sits for a time gazing at them
+with his gold-rimmed eyes; then slowly creeps
+towards them, fixes his eyes on one of the worms
+bends his head a little towards it, then one hears
+a snap and the prey is taken. The act is so
+rapid that one can never see the tongue that
+has picked up the meal-worm&mdash;simply it is gone!
+The toad's eyes are tightly shut whilst he swallows
+the morsel, and then he turns to pick up a second.
+Now is the time to approach him from behind
+and begin to stroke his leathery, warty skin. In
+a few seconds he is in a state of perfect ecstasy,
+his front legs are stretched out, he leans first to
+one side, then to the other, to guide the hand
+where he wishes to be stroked, and at last uplifts
+his ponderous body until he is an inch or more
+from the ground, supported on the tips of his
+toes. No description can do justice to the absurdity<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">p. 145</a></span>
+of the attitude, and the rapture seems so
+intense that food is forgotten, and so long as
+Sancho can get any one to stroke him, he is quite
+oblivious to all around him, although at other
+times he will hop away as soon as any stranger
+approaches.</p>
+
+<p>Sancho will not, as yet, take anything from my
+hand, but I hope to bring him to that state of
+tameness in course of time.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 299px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-041" id="illus-041"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p145.png" alt="" title="" width="299" height="188" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">p. 146</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 309px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-042" id="illus-042"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p146.png" alt="ROMAN SNAILS" title="ROMAN SNAILS" width="309" height="172" /><br />
+<span class="caption">ROMAN SNAILS.</span>
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="ROMAN_SNAILS." id="ROMAN_SNAILS."></a>
+<h2>ROMAN SNAILS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-h-p146.png" alt="H" title="H" width="72" height="104"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 75px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 75px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 75px;height: 12px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 55px;height: 16px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 55px;height: 16px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ OW <i>can</i> you take an interest in snails
+and slugs?&mdash;horrid, slimy, crawling
+things!" More than once have I
+heard this kind of remark from youthful
+lips when I produced my grand old
+Roman snails and gave them a pleasant time for
+exercise upon the dewy lawn. Now in my secret
+mind I think a snail is a wonderfully curious
+creature, neither ugly nor "horrid"&mdash;it <i>is</i> slimy,
+but about that I shall have something to say
+later on.</p></div>
+
+<p>When staying at Box Hill, near Dorking, I often<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">p. 147</a></span>
+saw the great apple snail, <i>Helix Pomatia</i>, which
+is only found on chalk soils, and is supposed to
+have been introduced by the Romans, from the
+quantities of their empty shells found with Roman
+remains in all parts of England. They were
+kept and fattened in places called "Cochlearia"
+and made into various "dainty dishes" which the
+Romans thought quite fit to set before their kings.
+It is certain that they are very nutritious creatures,
+and that in times of famine people have supported
+life and kept themselves mysteriously "fat and
+well-liking" by resorting to snails and slugs as
+articles of diet. Indeed I have heard more than
+once that the famous "P&acirc;te de Guimauve" owes
+its healing nutritive character to this despised
+univalve, which is said to enter largely into its
+composition. I brought several apple snails home
+with me from Box Hill and kept them for many
+years, until I really believe the creatures, in a dim
+sort of way, recognized me as their friend, or at
+any rate their feeder. I cannot boast, as I believe
+an American lady is said to have done, that "her
+tame oysters followed her up and down stairs,"
+but certainly my snails would, when placed upon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">p. 148</a></span>
+the lawn, very frequently crawl towards me, and
+would do so again and again when removed to
+a distance. As the weather became cold they
+always hibernated, closing the mouth of the shell
+with a thin, firm covering, or operculum, of chalk,
+which, mixed with their slime, made a substance
+like plaster of Paris. Thus enclosed they would
+lie as if dead until the warmth of the following
+spring made them push the door open and come
+out, with excellent appetites, ready to eat
+voraciously to make up for their long fast.
+These Roman snails were quite five inches long
+when fully extended, and therefore were much
+larger than our English species; the body was
+cream colour and the shell a pale tint of buff
+varying somewhat in different specimens.</p>
+
+<p>These creatures were kept in a fern case with
+glass top and sides, and it was singular to observe
+the way in which they could suspend themselves
+(as shown in the drawing) from the top of the
+box.</p>
+
+<p>The substance which exists in the caterpillar
+of the silkworm moth, and which can be drawn
+out into fine shreds of silk, is very similar to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">p. 149</a></span>
+slime of the snail, only in the latter it is not
+filiform, but exudes as a liquid and then hardens
+into a thin layer of silk which is strong enough
+to support the weight of two of these snails, for,
+seeing them one day thus suspended, I put them
+in the scales and ascertained that the weight of the
+two amounted to 2 &frac12; ounces.</p>
+
+<p>This mucus forms the glistening, shiny track
+which the snail leaves behind it, enabling it
+to glide easily and painlessly over rough substances
+which would otherwise lacerate its soft
+body.</p>
+
+<p>One hardly expected to find social feeling and
+affection in animals so low down in the scale of
+nature, but I do not know what else could have led
+my "Romans" to caress each other with their long
+horns by the hour together and always keep close
+to one another, twisting and curling their yielding
+bodies round each other in the most odd contortions.
+Our English snails hibernate in whole colonies
+for the winter, which also points to their
+affectionate and gregarious habits.</p>
+
+<p>In lifting up some moss I once came upon some
+yellow, half-transparent eggs about as large as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">p. 150</a></span>
+pearl barley, and wishing to know what they
+would prove to be I kept them in damp moss
+under a tumbler for about a fortnight, when, to my
+dismay, I found a grand colony of yellow slugs!
+and not a little was I teased about these interesting
+young people. I am afraid I must own
+they were given as a <i>bonne bouche</i> to my
+Virginian nightingale, who seemed highly to
+approve of this addition to his daily fare. Snails'
+eggs are nearly white and semi-transparent; the
+empty shells of young snails are very lovely
+when placed in a good microscope: the polariscope
+bringing out their exquisite prismatic tints.</p>
+
+<p>The gardener one day brought in a testacella, or
+shelled slug. It fed upon earth-worms and was
+quite unlike the ordinary black or grey slug, of
+which we have, alas! countless thousands preying
+upon all the green things of the earth. This
+shelled slug was yellow, and seemed able to
+elongate its body very differently to any other
+species. The shell was quite small, a simple
+dome-shaped plate upon the anterior part of the
+body. I kept it for some weeks on damp moss
+under a tumbler, but it was often able to escape<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">p. 151</a></span>
+by flattening itself to a mere thread and then
+crawling under the rim of the tumbler, and at last
+I gave it liberty as a reward for its persevering
+efforts to obtain its freedom.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 306px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-043" id="illus-043"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p151.png" alt="" title="" width="306" height="249" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">p. 152</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 297px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-044" id="illus-044"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p152.png" alt="" title="" width="297" height="180" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="AN_EARWIG_MOTHER." id="AN_EARWIG_MOTHER."></a>
+<h2>AN EARWIG MOTHER.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-i-p152.png" alt="I" title="I" width="63" height="100"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+    <div style="width: 67px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 63px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 55px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 27px; height: 9px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ had often read of the earwig as an
+incubating insect, and much wished to
+see for myself how she carried out her
+motherly instincts. One bright May
+morning found me busily turning over
+stones, clinkers, and old tree-roots in a fernery,
+which, having been long undisturbed, seemed a
+likely spot for the nest I wished to find. There
+seemed no scarcity of worms, wood-lice, centipedes,
+or beetles, but no earwigs could I see; and
+I was just about to give up the search when, lifting
+a piece of stone, I saw a small cavity, about as
+large as would contain a pea, and in it lay about<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">p. 153</a></span>
+twenty-six round, white eggs, hard-shelled and
+shining, of the size of a small pin's head. An
+earwig had placed herself over the eggs, and I
+was delighted to think at last I had lighted upon
+the insect mother I had been searching for. But
+what was to be done with her<ins class="transcriber"
+ title="Transcriber's note: extra '.' removed">?</ins> How could I
+watch the process of incubation? The difficulty
+was solved by lifting the nest and its mother with
+a trowel and placing it in a saucer under a
+tumbler, without any displacement of the eggs;
+thus the mother's care could be conveniently
+watched. The earwig first carefully examined
+her new home, touching each morsel of earth and
+stone with her antenn&aelig;; and, having ascertained
+the exact condition of things, she set to work to
+make a fresh nest, labouring with great industry
+until it was formed to her mind. She then took
+up the eggs, one by one, with her mandibles, and
+placed them in the new nest, arranging and rearranging
+them, until at last she seemed content,
+and remained either upon or near them for the
+rest of the day, quite motionless.</p></div>
+
+<p>Every night, and sometimes two or three time
+in the day, she would form fresh places in thes<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">p. 154</a></span>
+earth, and replace the eggs. To prevent the soil
+becoming too dry, I used to sprinkle a little
+water upon it&mdash;a drop here and there&mdash;and if by
+accident the water fell too near the eggs, the
+earwig became much excited, hurrying to and fro
+with her eggs, until they were all removed to a
+drier spot. On the other hand, if I omitted the
+water until the earth became dry, she would
+choose the dampest spot that remained in which
+to form her nest, and seemed to welcome the
+water-drops, drinking herself from them, and
+feeling the damp earth with her antenn&aelig;. She
+remained thus for three weeks, feeding on little
+pieces of beef or mutton, or an occasional fly;
+I did not then know that earwigs are mostly
+vegetable feeders, but it is clear they can eat other
+food when needful. The first time I dropped a
+newly-killed house-fly near her she looked at it
+intently, felt it with her antenn&aelig;, and then suddenly
+wheeled round and pinched it with her
+forceps, and being apparently satisfied that it
+could do no harm to her eggs, she began to devour
+it, and after an hour or two but little remained
+except the wings.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">p. 155</a></span></p>
+<p>As it was early in the year, but few insects could
+be seen, but by searching in the conservatory I found
+a large green aphis, which I gave to the earwig.
+To my surprise, instead of devouring it at once,
+she applied herself to one of the projecting tubes
+of the aphis, and evidently sucked its sweet
+secretion, and enjoyed it as much and in the same
+way as ants are said to do. She feasted thus for
+four or five minutes, but I am sorry to add that,
+unlike the humane ants, who care tenderly for
+their aphides and preserve their lives by kind
+treatment, the earwig ended by munching up the
+unfortunate aphis, till not a trace of it was left.</p>
+
+<p>At the end of three weeks I found one morning
+all the eggs were hatched, and tiny, snow-white
+earwigs, with forceps and antenn&aelig; fully developed,
+were creeping about and around their mother. I
+placed a slice of pear in the saucer, upon which
+the little ones swarmed, and seemed to find it
+congenial food. In a few days they increased to
+nearly double their size when first hatched, and
+turned a light brown colour. Having ascertained
+all I wished to know about the maternal instincts
+of the earwig, I released the mother and her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">p. 156</a></span>
+family, and no doubt she was happy enough to
+return to her old haunt in the fernery, and would
+greatly prefer tree-roots and stones to my tumbler-and-saucer
+arrangement.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 291px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-045" id="illus-045"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p156.png" alt="EARWIG" title="EARWIG" width="291" height="124" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">p. 157</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 305px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-046" id="illus-046"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p157.png" alt="EGYPTIAN BEETLES" title="EGYPTIAN BEETLES" width="305" height="140" /><br />
+<span class="caption">EGYPTIAN BEETLES.</span>
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="THE_SACRED_BEETLE." id="THE_SACRED_BEETLE."></a>
+<h2>THE SACRED BEETLE.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-o-p157.png" alt="O" title="O" width="63" height="107"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 52px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 32px; height: 9px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ N reading books on Egypt and the
+voyage up the Nile, one is sure to
+find some mention of the curious beetle
+which is found along the banks of the
+river, especially in Nubia, where the
+shore is traceried with the footprints of the busy
+little creature. Miss Edwards, in her very interesting
+book, "A Thousand Miles up the Nile,"
+thus speaks of it: "Every one knows how this
+scarab was adopted by the Egyptians as an
+emblem of creative power and the immortality
+of the soul; it is to be seen in the wall-sculptures,
+on the tombs, cut out in precious stones and worn
+as an ornament, buried in the mummy-cases, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">p. 158</a></span>
+a figure of the beetle forms a hieroglyph, and
+represents a word signifying 'To be and to transform.'
+If actual worship was not paid to <i>Scarab&#339;us
+Sacer</i>,<a name="FNanchor_1" id="FNanchor_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> it was, at any rate, regarded with the
+greatest reverence and a vast amount of symbolism
+drawn from its various characteristics."</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_1" id="Footnote_1"></a>
+<a href="#FNanchor_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> Or <i>Ateuchus Sacer</i>.</p></div>
+
+<p>I had often wished to see this insect alive, and
+one day my wish was very unexpectedly gratified
+by the arrival of a small tin box in which I found
+a specimen of the sacred beetle swathed in wet
+linen like a veritable mummy, only, instead of
+being an Egyptian specimen, this had come from
+a kind friend at the Riviera, who knew that the
+same species existed there, and had sent me this
+one by post. The scarab was at once named
+"Cheops," and treated with all the respect due
+to his ancient family traditions.</p>
+
+<p>His wants were easily supplied: a deep tin
+box, with earth and moss slightly damped, gave
+him space for exercise; and then for food&mdash;alas!
+that his tastes should be so degraded&mdash;he had to
+be supplied with cow-dung! This could be done
+in secret, and judiciously hidden by fair, green</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">p. 159</a></span></p>
+
+<p>
+moss; but when exhibiting my cherished pet to
+admiring friends the first question was sure to
+be, "What does he feed upon?" and one had
+to take refuge in vague generalities about organic
+substances, &amp;c., which might mean anything, and
+then, by diverting attention to some point of
+interest apart from the food question, the difficulty
+was generally overcome.</p>
+
+<p>I kept a close watch to see if the beetle would
+be led by instinct to form its round pellets of
+mud as is its custom on the banks of the Nile,
+and having placed its egg in the centre, it begins
+to roll it from the margin of the river until it is
+above high-water mark. There it digs a hole
+and buries the pellet, leaving the sun to hatch
+the eggs in due time. Travellers who have
+watched the process describe the untiring way
+in which both the male and female beetle roll
+these pellets, often falling down with their burden
+into holes and ridges in the rough ground; but
+then their comrades will give them help, and,
+picking up the ball, they patiently labour on.
+Walking backwards, having the pellet between
+their broad hind legs, they push it up and up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">p. 160</a></span>
+until it is placed in safety. The persevering
+energy of this insect led the Egyptians to adopt
+it as an emblem of the labours of their great
+deity, Osiris, or the sun; they also traced a resemblance
+in the spiny projections on its head
+to the rays of the sun.</p>
+
+<p>Great was my delight to find at length that
+Cheops&mdash;even in captivity&mdash;was true to his native
+instincts, that he had formed a pellet about the
+size of a marble and was gravely rolling it with
+his hind legs backwards and forwards in his box.
+Poor captive! he was evidently puzzled what to
+do with the precious thing. He had no Nile
+bank to surmount, and the sun was hardly warm
+enough to encourage any hope for his future
+family; but he did the only thing that was
+possible&mdash;he set to work to scoop out a hole of
+sufficient size, then rolled the pellet in and
+covered it over with loose earth. Three such
+pellets were made at intervals of a few days;
+one of them I unearthed and kept as a curio.
+The beetle never seemed to miss it, and having
+done his duty under difficult circumstances, his
+mind seemed to be at rest.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">p. 161</a></span></p>
+<p>I often placed Cheops in my hand to show him
+to visitors, and there he would lie feigning to be
+dead until he was gently stroked over the elytra,
+when he would stretch out his antenn&aelig;, then his
+legs by slow degrees appeared (for he tucked them
+close to his body out of sight when frightened),
+and at last he would begin to walk in a jerky
+manner, as if moved by machinery, often stopping
+to look and listen to be sure that it was
+safe to move, and even if busily at work in the
+earth, if he saw any one coming near he would
+stop, draw in his antenn&aelig; and limbs and remain
+motionless.</p>
+
+<p>He had a strong and peculiar odour at times,
+which became more apparent if he was annoyed.
+He was infested with a small mite, and though
+these were frequently cleared away with water and
+a camel's-hair brush, they always reappeared in a
+day or two, clustering under the thorax between the
+first pair of legs, and at times they might be seen
+racing over his body with great rapidity. Once
+Cheops nearly escaped, for I had placed his box
+in the sun, and the warmth so excited and waked
+him up that he opened his wing-cases, used his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">p. 162</a></span>
+gauze-like inner wings, and with a mighty hum
+was all but gone in search of his native land,
+but fortunately I was near enough to intercept
+his flight and place him in safe quarters. After
+keeping this curious creature in perfect health
+for sixteen months, I was much vexed to find
+him one morning lying in a shallow pan of water
+in his box, quite dead. He had overbalanced
+on to his back, and, being unable to turn over,
+had been drowned, though the water was scarcely
+half an inch deep. Poor Cheops is enshrined
+in a pyramid-shaped box, in which he is often
+shown and his life-history told to interested
+visitors.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 313px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-047" id="illus-047"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p162.png" alt="FLYING BEETLE" title="FLYING BEETLE" width="313" height="111" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">p. 163</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 361px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-048" id="illus-048"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p163.png" alt="TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS" title="TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS" width="361" height="197" /><br />
+<span class="caption">TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS.</span>
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="SPIDERS." id="SPIDERS."></a>
+<h2>SPIDERS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-o-p163.png" alt="O" title="O" width="63" height="107"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 52px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 32px; height: 9px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ F all the varieties of "creeping things"
+spiders seem to be the most universally
+disliked. I knew well the kind
+of expression I should see on the faces
+of my friends when I produced the box
+which contained my pet Tegenaria, a large black
+spider, long-legged and very swift, a well-known
+kind of house-spider.</p></div>
+
+<p>Happily the box had a glass lid, so the inmate
+could be seen in comfort; and when the spider's
+history was told there was always an interest
+created in even this poor despised creature.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">p. 164</a></span></p>
+<p>When first placed in its new home the Tegenaria
+began spinning tunnels of white silky web
+in various directions across the box. They were
+almost as close in texture as fine gauze, and had
+openings here and there, so that they formed a
+kind of labyrinth.</p>
+
+<p>The spider always lived in one corner, curled
+up, watching for prey, and when a blue-bottle
+was put in, and began buzzing, she then rushed
+up one tunnel and down another until she could
+pounce upon her prey.</p>
+
+<p>The fly was quickly killed by her poison fangs,
+and then carried to the corner to be consumed
+at leisure. Unlike the habit of the garden or
+diadem spider, no cobweb was rolled round the
+victim; only the wings were cut off and the
+body carried away. After some months I noticed
+the corner seemed filled up with web and fragments
+of insects, and when I examined it more
+closely there appeared a large round ball of eggs,
+over which the spider had spun some web, and
+then had collected all the legs and wings of
+her prey and stuck them carelessly here and
+there in the web so as to conceal her nest, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">p. 165</a></span>
+make it look like the remains of an old cobweb.
+Over this nest she kept careful watch. One
+could not drive her from it; she only left it for
+a moment to spring upon a fly, and would
+return with her food immediately and resume
+her watchful life in the corner. At length the
+young spiders were hatched in countless numbers;
+they crept about the tunnels, and though so
+minute as to be mere specks, they were perfect
+in form, active in seeking for prey, and appeared
+perfectly able to take care of themselves and
+begin life on their own account.</p>
+
+<p>I had kept the Tegenaria more than a year in
+confinement, and having shown such admirable
+motherly instincts, I thought she had earned the
+reward of liberty. No doubt she welcomed "the
+order of release"! At any rate, she scampered
+away under some tree-roots, and possibly resides
+there with her numerous family to this day.</p>
+
+<p>Spiders hunt their prey in a variety of ways&mdash;some
+by spinning their beautiful web, with which
+we are all familiar; others, as the Zebra spiders,
+catch flies by leaping suddenly upon them, and
+these may often be seen on window-sills watching<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">p. 166</a></span>
+some coveted insect, drawing slowly nearer to the
+victim, till, by a well-directed spring, it can be
+secured. There are nearly three hundred species
+of spiders in this country, and nearly all spin and
+weave their silken threads in some way, but each
+in different fashions, according to their mode of
+life. The female spider is the spinner, and her
+supply is about 150 yards. When she has used
+that amount a few days' rest will enable her to
+secrete a similar quantity.</p>
+
+<p>With great pains the spider's silk has been
+obtained and woven into a delicate kind of
+material; but as each spider only yields one
+grain of silk, and 450 were required to produce
+one yard, the process was found to be impracticable.
+The insect possesses silk of two colours,
+silver-grey and yellow; one is used for the
+foundation-lines of the web, and the other for
+the interlacing threads. The silk is drawn by
+the spider from its four spinnerets, and issues
+from them in a soft, viscid state, but it hardens
+by exposure to the air. If a web is examined
+with a magnifying-glass, it will be seen that its
+threads are closely studded with minute globules<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">p. 167</a></span>
+of gum, which is so sticky that flies caught in
+the web are held in this kind of birdlime until
+the spider is able to spring upon them.</p>
+
+<p>Astronomers and microscopists make use of
+the strongest lines of the spider's web to form
+some of their delicate instruments. The thread is
+drawn in parallel lines at right angles across the
+field of the eye-piece at equal distances, so as to
+make a multitude of fine divisions, scarcely visible
+to the naked eye, and so thin as to be no obstacle
+to the view of the object. One means of classifying
+spiders is by the number of eyes they
+possess. These are usually two, six, or eight in
+number. The fangs with which the spider seizes
+its prey are hollow, and emit a venomous fluid
+into the body of the victim, which speedily benumbs
+and kills it. In Palestine and other
+countries a kind of spider is found which is
+entirely nocturnal in its habits, and never either
+hunts or feeds in daylight, but makes itself a
+little home, where it abides safely till sunset. It
+is called the trap-door spider, from the curious
+way in which it protects the entrance to its nest.
+It bores a hole in the dry earth of a bank a foot<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">p. 168</a></span>
+or more in depth, lines the hole with silk, and
+forms a lid, or trap-door, which secures the spider
+from all intruders. I have one of these nests in
+which the door is a wonderful piece of mechanism,
+quite round and flat, about as large as a threepenny
+piece, made of layers of fine earth moistened
+and worked together with silk, so that it is tough
+and elastic and cannot crumble. The hinge is
+made of very tough silk, and is so springy that
+when opened it closes directly with a snap. The
+outside is disguised with bits of moss, glued on
+so that no one can see where the door is. The
+only way of opening it is with a pin, and even
+then the spider will hold on inside with his claws,
+so that it is not easy to overcome his resistance.
+Amongst some insects sent to me from Los
+Angelos is a huge "Mygale," a hairy monster
+of very uninviting aspect. When its legs are
+outspread it measures nearly six inches across,
+and one can well believe the stories one hears of
+its killing small birds if it finds them on their
+nests. A gentleman living in Bermuda is said
+to have tamed a spider of the species "Mygale,"
+and made it live upon his bed-curtain and rid<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">p. 169</a></span>
+him of the flies and mosquitoes which disturbed
+his nightly rest. He thus describes this remarkable
+pet: "I fed him with flies for a few days,
+until he began to find himself in very comfortable
+quarters, and thought of spinning a nest
+and making his home. This he did by winding
+himself round and round, combing out the silk
+from the spinnerets at the end of his body till
+he had made a nest as large as a wine-glass, in
+which he sat motionless until he saw a fly get
+inside our gauzy tent; then I could fancy I saw his
+eyes twinkle as his victim buzzed about, till, when
+it was within a yard or so of him, he took one
+spring and the fly was in his forceps, and another
+leap took him back to his den, where he soon
+finished the savoury morsel. Sometimes he would
+bound from side to side of the bed and seize a
+mosquito at every spring, resting only a moment
+on the net to swallow it. In another corner of
+the room was the nest of a female Mygale of the
+same species. She spun some beautiful little silk
+bags, larger than a thimble, of tough yellow silk,
+in each of which she laid more than a dozen
+eggs. When these hatched the young spiders<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">p. 170</a></span>
+used to live on her back until they were old
+enough to hunt for themselves. I kept my useful
+friend on my bed for more than a year and
+a half, when, unfortunately, a new housemaid
+spied his pretty brown house, pulled it down,
+and crushed under her black feet my poor companion."
+This kind of spider, or an allied species,
+captures large butterflies in the tropical woods by
+hanging strong silken noozes from branches of
+trees, and they have been seen to kill small birds
+by this method. One of our British spiders lives
+under water in a dome-like cell of silk, which is
+filled with air like a diving-bell by the spider
+carrying down successive globules of air between
+its legs, which it liberates under the dome until
+it is filled; and the young are hatched there.</p>
+
+<p>The spider, on its way through the water, never
+gets wet. It is hairy, and is enveloped in a bubble
+of air, in which it moves about protected from
+wet and well supplied with air to breathe. As
+the spider's supply of food is always precarious,
+they are able to live a long time without eating.
+One is known to have lived eighteen months
+corked up in a phial, where it could obtain no<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">p. 171</a></span>
+food; but though thus able to fast, the spider is
+a voracious feeder, and will eat his own kith
+and kin when hard pressed by hunger.</p>
+
+<p>I believe it is now thought that the spider of
+the Scriptures was a kind of spiny lizard called
+the Gecko. One of this species was sent to me
+from California, and lived for a few weeks, but
+as nothing would induce it to eat, to my great
+regret it pined and died. It was about as large
+as an ordinary full-grown toad, of a speckled grey
+colour, with rich brown markings, its head something
+like a lizard, with large thorny projections
+which extended all along the spine. The feet
+were very remarkable, each toe being furnished
+with a sucker which enabled the Gecko to walk
+with perfect ease in any position on a wall or pane
+of glass without losing its hold; and travellers
+say that it is a frequent inmate of Eastern houses,
+and may be seen catching flies as it creeps along
+walls and ceilings.</p>
+
+<p>Many kinds of spiders run with ease upon the
+surface of ponds and ditches, and one forms a
+kind of raft of a few dead leaves woven together,
+on which it sits and is blown by the wind hither<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">p. 172</a></span>
+and thither, and thus is enabled to prey upon
+various aquatic insects.</p>
+
+<p>The surface of grass lawns may be seen on
+autumnal mornings covered with tiny webs
+gemmed with dew. We may therefore estimate
+the immense number of flies captured by these
+traps so thickly spread over the grass, and see
+in them another proof of the adaptation of each
+created thing for its special purpose, and how
+wonderfully the balance of nature is maintained,
+so that one creature keeps another in check, and
+all work harmoniously together, according to the
+will of our great Creator.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 319px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-049" id="illus-049"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p172.png" alt="" title="" width="319" height="182" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">p. 173</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 294px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-050" id="illus-050"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p173.png" alt="BUTTERFLY" title="BUTTERFLY" width="294" height="213" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="TAME_BUTTERFLIES." id="TAME_BUTTERFLIES."></a>
+<h2>TAME BUTTERFLIES.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-i-p173.png" alt="I" title="I" width="57" height="98"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+    <div style="width: 67px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 63px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 55px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 27px; height: 9px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ N <i>The Century</i>, for June, 1883, Mr. Gosse
+described a monument, in which the
+sculptor had carved a child holding out
+her hand for butterflies to perch on. He
+went on to say that this was criticised
+as improbable, even by so exact an observer as
+the late Lord Tennyson. It may therefore be of
+some interest to record the following facts from
+my personal experience.</p></div>
+
+<p>One summer I watched the larv&aelig; of the swallow-tailed
+butterfly through their different stages, and
+reserved two chrysalides to develop into the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">p. 174</a></span>
+perfect insect. In due time one of these fairy-like
+creatures came out. I placed it in a small Indian
+cage, made of fine threads of bamboo. A carpet
+of soft moss and a vase of flowers in the centre
+made a pleasant home for my tiny "Psyche."</p>
+
+<p>I found that she greatly enjoyed a repast of
+honey; when some was placed on a leaf within her
+reach, she would uncoil her long proboscis and
+draw up the sweet food with great apparent enjoyment.</p>
+
+<p>She was so tame that it became my habit, once
+or twice a day, to take her on my finger; and
+while I walked in the garden she would take short
+flights hither and thither, but was always content
+to mount upon my hand again. She would come
+on my finger of her own accord, and, if the day
+was bright, would remain there as long as I had
+patience to carry her, with her wings outspread,
+basking in the sunbeams, which appeared to
+convey exquisite delight to the delicate little
+creature.</p>
+
+<p>I never touched her beautiful wings. She never
+fluttered or showed any wish to escape, but lived
+three weeks of tranquil life in her tiny home; and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">p. 175</a></span>
+then having, as I suppose, reached the limit of
+butterfly existence, she quietly ceased to live.</p>
+
+<p>On the day of her death the other butterfly
+emerged, and lived for the same length of time.
+Both were equally tame, but the second showed
+more intelligence, for she discovered that by folding
+her wings together she could easily walk between
+the slender bars of the cage; and having done so
+she would fly to a window, and remain there
+basking in the sun, folding and unfolding her wings
+with evident enjoyment, until I presented my
+finger, when she would immediately step upon it
+and be carried back to her cage.</p>
+
+<p>The tameness of these butterflies I ascribed in
+great measure to the fact of their having been
+hatched from chrysalides, and having therefore
+never known the sweets of liberty. I often
+wondered if really wild specimens could be won by
+gentle kindness and made happy in confinement,
+and one bright summer's day I resolved to try. A
+"Painted Lady" had been seen in the garden the
+day before, and I soon caught sight of her making
+rapid flights from one bed of flowers to another,
+and when resting for a few minutes, folding and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">p. 176</a></span>
+unfolding her wings on the gravel path, I crept
+slowly up to her with a drop of honey on my finger
+to try and make friends; but my "lady" was coy,
+"she would and she wouldn't," and after letting me
+come within a few inches with my tempting repast,
+she floated away, out of sight, and I feared she
+would not be willing to give me another chance;
+however, I waited quietly, and in a few minutes she
+alighted at a little distance. I again drew near
+very slowly, and again she sailed away, but the
+third time she gained confidence enough to reach
+out her proboscis and taste the honey, and finally
+crept upon my finger. I very gently placed the
+light bamboo cage over her and brought her indoors;
+she, all the while, entranced with the sweet
+food, remained quietly on my finger, and when
+satisfied, crept upon a flower in the middle of the
+cage, and after a few flutterings round her cage
+seemed content and folded her delicate wings to
+rest. Whilst engaged in her capture I had
+observed a "Red Admiral" hovering over some
+dahlias, and thinking "Cynthia"<a name="FNanchor_2" id="FNanchor_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> might like a
+companion, I tried my blandishments upon <ins class="transcriber"
+ title="Transcriber's note: missing period added.">him.</ins>
+</p>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_2" id="Footnote_2"></a>
+<a href="#FNanchor_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a>
+ The former Latin name for the "Painted Lady" butterfly</p></div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">p. 177</a></span></p>
+<p>I had not much hope of success, for though a bold,
+fearless fellow, he is very wary, and his powerful
+wings bear him away in swift flight when alarmed.
+Many a circle did I make around that dahlia bed!
+"Admiral" always preferred the opposite side to
+where I stood, and calmly crossed over whilst I
+went round. At last, by long and patient waiting,
+he, too, allowed me to come near and present my
+seductive food to his notice&mdash;the wiry proboscis was
+uncoiled and felt about for the honey; once plunged
+into that, all volition seemed to cease, he allowed
+me to coax him upon my finger, and he, too, was
+safely caged; but he behaved very differently from
+"fair Cynthia." The moment his repast was ended
+he flapped with desperate force against the bars,
+and in a minute he was out and on the window-pane,
+fluttering to escape. The cage had to be
+secured with fine net, and he was replaced and
+soon quieted down. Twice a day these delicate
+little pets would come upon my hand to receive
+their sweet food, and appeared perfectly content in
+captivity.</p>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">p. 178</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 336px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-051" id="illus-051"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p178.png" alt="ANT-LION" title="ANT-LION" width="336" height="194" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="ANT-LIONS." id="ANT-LIONS."></a>
+<h2>ANT-LIONS.</h2>
+<p class="center"><span class="smcap">(Myrmeleon Formicarius.)</span></p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-m-p178.png" alt="M" title="M" width="76" height="102"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 75px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 98px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 75px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 48px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ ANY years ago a friend sent me
+some of these remarkable insects
+from the Riviera, and for sixteen
+months I fed them as regularly as
+possible, but the cold of a remarkably
+severe winter killed them, to my great disappointment,
+as I had hoped to be rewarded by a
+sight of the perfect insect.</p></div>
+
+<p>Ant-lions are not, I believe, found in any part
+of England, so I had to wait till I could again<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">p. 179</a></span>
+procure some from the south of France, where
+they are frequently met with in dry, sandy places.</p>
+
+<p>Early in March this year (1890) three specimens
+were sent me and were at once placed in a box
+of dry silver sand, where they buried themselves
+and remained quietly resting for some hours.</p>
+
+<p>Many of my readers may be interested to know
+what the ant-lion is like, and why I thought it
+worth while to take great pains to rear it.
+These young specimens were flat, grey, six-legged
+creatures about the size of a small lady-bird,
+covered with hairs, and possessing two strong
+forceps projecting from their heads. They are
+so formed that they cannot go forward, but move
+always backward by a series of jerks. As they
+live upon ants and are so strangely formed, they
+have to resort to stratagem in order to entrap
+their prey, and this they do by means of pits
+formed in the sand in which they live; into these
+pits the ants fall, and are seized by the forceps
+of the ant-lion, who lies in wait at the bottom.</p>
+
+<p>Many a time have I watched the formation of
+these pits, and will try to describe the process.
+The insect begins describing a small circle on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">p. 180</a></span>
+the surface of the sand by jerking himself backwards
+and flinging the sand away with his flat
+head and closed forceps, which form a kind of
+shovel. Each circle is smaller than the last, until
+the pit is like an inverted cone, and the ant-lion
+lies buried at the bottom, only his forceps being
+visible. When an ant has fallen headlong down
+into the pit it makes frantic efforts to escape, and
+if the ant-lion sees that it is likely to get beyond
+his reach, he then with his forceps flings some sand
+at it with such unerring aim the poor victim is sure
+to roll over and over until it reaches the jaws of
+its captor, who feasts upon it and then flings the
+remains of the body out of the pit.</p>
+
+<p>One difficulty was how to ensure a supply of
+ants, but this was overcome by filling a box with
+part of an ants' nest, and as these insects settled
+down and seemed content with their quarters,
+they were ready when wanted, and three times a
+day the lions had to be fed! One learns to
+sacrifice one's feelings in the cause of science,
+but to the last it was a real distress to me to have
+to put the poor little ants where they would be
+devoured; but Nature is cruel, and from the real<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">p. 181</a></span>
+lion to his insect namesake, preying upon one
+another seems the prevailing law of her realm.</p>
+
+<p>As the ant-lions grew, the pits increased in
+size. At first they were about as large as a
+threepenny-piece, but ended by measuring more
+than two inches across.</p>
+
+<p>I could not tell whether the insect moulted
+its skin, as it was always hidden, but in July,
+after four months' feeding, the ant-lions changed
+into chrysalides, which looked like perfectly round
+balls of sand.</p>
+
+<p>The box was placed in a warm greenhouse, and
+in seven weeks' time the perfect insects appeared.
+They were like small dragon-flies, with slender
+bodies, four black-spotted gauzy wings, two large
+black eyes and short antenn&aelig;.</p>
+
+<p>I had read about their being nocturnal insects,
+feeding on flies, so they had that diet provided
+for them in the glass globe in which they were
+kept, but I could never feel sure that they ate the
+flies, and fearing they would be starved I tried
+giving them a little sweet food, a drop of raspberry
+syrup at the end of a twig; it seemed to
+be the right thing, for they greedily sucked it in,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">p. 182</a></span>
+but in spite of all my care they only lived four
+weeks; which, however, is probably the term of
+their existence.</p>
+
+<p>Whilst I was writing this paper a singular
+incident occurred. I heard a strange, wild note,
+and something brilliant dashed past me to the
+end of the room, and there, on a white marble
+bust sat a lovely kingfisher&mdash;a bird I had hardly
+ever seen, even at a distance, and here he had
+come to pay me a visit in my drawing-room.
+Would that I could have told him how welcome
+he was! but, alas! he darted about the room in
+wild alarm, flew against the looking-glasses, and
+though I tried to guard him from a plate-glass
+window, that has often proved fatal to birds, I
+was too late; he came with a crash against it and
+fell down quite dead, his neck being broken by
+the force of the blow.</p>
+
+<p>I had heard that a kingfisher had been seen at
+my lake, and hoped that the bird might build
+and become established there; it was, therefore, a
+keen regret to me that this bright visitant had met
+with such an untimely fate.</p>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">p. 183</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 326px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-052" id="illus-052"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p183.png" alt="THE ROBIN" title="THE ROBIN" width="326" height="178" /><br />
+<span class="caption">THE ROBIN.</span>
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="ROBINS_I_HAVE_KNOWN." id="ROBINS_I_HAVE_KNOWN."></a>
+<h2>ROBINS I HAVE KNOWN.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-i-p183.png" alt="I" title="I" width="57" height="98"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+    <div style="width: 67px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 63px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 55px"></div>
+    <div style="width: 27px; height: 9px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ F I once begin to speak about these
+winning, confiding little birds, I shall
+hardly know when to stop. There can
+scarcely be a more delightful pet than
+a wild robin which has learnt to love
+you, and will come indoors and be your quiet companion
+for hours together. One can feel happy
+in the thought that he has his liberty and his
+natural food out of doors, and that he gives you his
+companionship freely because he likes to be with
+you, and shows that he does, by singing his sweet<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">p. 184</a></span>
+songs perched on the looking-glass or some vase of
+flowers.</p></div>
+
+<p>Autumn is the best time to begin taming such a
+little friend. When one of those brown-coated
+young birds in his first year's plumage (before the
+red feathers show) takes to haunting the window-ledge,
+or looks up inquiringly from the gravel path
+outside, then is the time to throw out a mealworm,
+four or five times a day, when the bird appears.
+He will soon associate you with his pleasant diet,
+and come nearer, and grow daily less fearful, until,
+by putting mealworms on a mat just inside the
+room, he will come in and take them, and at last
+learn to be quite content to remain. The first few
+times the window should be left open to let him
+retreat, for unless he feels he can come and go at
+will he will probably make a dash at a closed
+window, not seeing the glass, and be fatally injured,
+or else too frightened to return.</p>
+
+<p>Like all other taming, it must be carried on with
+patience.</p>
+
+<p>One summer, many years ago, we occupied an
+old-fashioned house in the country, where, in
+perfect quietude, one could make acquaintance<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">p. 185</a></span>
+with birds and study their habits and manners
+without interruption. From the veranda of a
+large, low-ceilinged sitting-room one looked out
+upon a garden of the olden type, full of moss-grown
+apple-trees, golden daffodils, lupines and
+sweet herbs, that pleasant mixture of the kitchen
+and flower garden which always seems so enjoyable.
+It was an ideal home for birds, no cat was
+ever visible, and from the numbers of the feathered
+folk one could believe that countless generations
+had been reared in these apple-trees and lived out
+their little lives in perfect happiness. I soon found
+a friend amongst the robins; one in particular
+began to pay me frequent visits as I sat at work
+indoors. At first he ventured in rather timidly,
+took a furtive glance and then flew away, but
+finding that crumbs were scattered for him, and
+while he picked them up a kindly voice encouraged
+his advances, he soon became at ease, made his
+way into the room and seemed to examine by
+turns, with birdish curiosity, all the pieces of
+furniture and the various ornaments on the mantelpiece
+and tables. Much to my pleasure he began
+to sing to me, and very pretty he looked, sitting<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">p. 186</a></span>
+amongst the flowers in a tall vase, warbling his
+charming little ditty, keeping his large black eyes
+fixed upon me as if to see if I seemed impressed
+by his vocal efforts.</p>
+
+<p>Once he stopped in the middle of his song,
+looked keenly at a corner of the ceiling, and after
+a swift flight there, he returned with a spider in his
+beak; one can well believe what good helpers the
+insect-eating birds must be to the gardener, by
+destroying countless hosts of minute caterpillars
+and grubs that would otherwise prey upon the
+garden produce. Bobbie continued his visits to
+me throughout the summer, remaining happy and
+content for hours at a time, pluming himself,
+singing, and at times investigating the contents of
+a little cupboard, where he sometimes discovered
+a cake which was much to his taste, on which he
+feasted without any leave asked, though truly it
+would have been readily given to such a pleasant
+little visitor. He soon showed such entire confidence
+in me that he would perch on the book I
+was reading, and alight on my lap for crumbs
+even when many people were in the room.</p>
+
+<p>When we had to leave this country home I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">p. 187</a></span>
+wished that dear Bobbie could have been packed
+up to go elsewhere with our other possessions, but
+since this could not be, let us hope he still inhabits
+the old garden and cheers other home-dwellers
+with his confiding manners and morning and
+evening songs of praise.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 326px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-053" id="illus-053"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p187.png" alt="" title="" width="326" height="222" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">p. 188</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 359px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-054" id="illus-054"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p188.png" alt="" title="" width="359" height="183" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="ROBERT_THE_SECOND." id="ROBERT_THE_SECOND."></a>
+<h2>ROBERT THE SECOND.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-a-p188.png" alt="A" title="A" width="71" height="104"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 75px;height: 14px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 82px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 80px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 48px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ FTER slight intimacies with various
+robins who were visitors to the conservatory
+and found their way in and
+out at the open windows, I was led to
+special friendship with a brown-coated
+young bird I used often to see close to the open
+French window where I was sitting. He was
+coaxed into the room by mealworms being thrown
+to him until he made himself quite at home
+indoors. By the time he had attained his red
+breast the weather had become too cold for open
+windows, but Bobbie would sit on the ledge and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">p. 189</a></span>
+wait till I let him in, and then he would be my
+happy little companion for the whole morning,
+flitting all about the room, along the corridor, into
+the hall&mdash;in fact, he was to be found all over the
+house; but when hungry he returned to me as his
+best friend, because I was the provider of his
+delightsome mealworms. It was always amusing
+to visitors to see me feed my small fowl! He
+would be on the alert to see where his prey
+was to be found, and he would hunt for it perseveringly
+if it happened to fall out of sight. He
+was often to be seen perched on the Californian
+mouse's cage, and I wondered what could be the
+attraction; at last I discovered that he coveted
+mousie's brown biscuits, and after that he was
+allowed one for his own use, kept in a special
+corner, where a cup of water was also provided for
+his small requirements.</p></div>
+
+<p>However tame wild birds may seem there will
+be times when all at once a sort of intense longing
+to get out seems to possess them. When this was
+the case Bobbie would fly backwards and forwards
+uttering his plaintive cry (one of the six kinds
+of notes by which robins express their feelings),<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">p. 190</a></span>
+and his distress was so evident that the window
+was always opened at once to let him go out.</p>
+
+<p>I am sorry to have to confess that robins are
+most vindictive towards each other! Bobbie maintained
+a very angry warfare with a hated rival out-of-doors,
+in fact his chief occupation in life seemed
+to be watching for his enemy. He might often
+be seen sitting under a small palm in a pot on the
+window-ledge, and whilst looking the picture of
+gentle innocence he was, I fear, cherishing envy,
+hatred, and malice in his naughty little heart, for,
+all at once, there would be a grand fluttering and
+pecking at the window whilst the two little furies,
+one inside and the other out, expended their
+strength in harmless warfare which only ceased
+when they were too exhausted to do more, and
+then followed on both sides a triumphant song
+of defiance or victory.</p>
+
+<p>I must now weave into this biography the life-history
+of a poor robin which, I suppose, must
+have been caught in a trap, for it had lost the
+lower mandible of its beak, and had only a little
+knob remaining of the upper mandible. It haunted
+the windows, and looked so hungry and miserable<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">p. 191</a></span>
+from its inability to pick up its food, that I thought
+it kindest to coax it into a cage where it could
+be fed with suitable food. By placing mealworms
+in a cage I at last induced it to hop in, and for five
+months it had a very happy life indoors, feeding
+on soaked brown bread and all the insect diet
+I could secure for it. When the cage was cleaned
+each morning Bobbie was let out, and would take
+a bath in a glass dish, and then fly to the top
+of the looking-glass, where he would often remain
+all day unless we were quick enough to secure his
+cage-door when he went in to feed. By the middle
+of May I thought caterpillars would be plentiful
+enough for him to find his own living, so one day
+he was released, but unhappily Robert the Second
+was close by, and the moment he saw the invalid
+in his cage on the lawn with the door open, he
+rushed in and savagely fought the poor defenceless
+bird. Before we could interfere he drove our pet
+out of his cage, and terrible was the battle that
+went on; the beakless bird was driven far away,
+and I was quite unhappy about his fate, for he was
+now beyond my loving care, and I never expected
+to see him again. Two months passed by, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">p. 192</a></span>
+I only once caught a glimpse of the invalid, but at
+last he came just as before to the window, looking
+thin and ill, with ruffled feathers, and evidently
+again at starvation point. Once more he entered
+his cage and began his old life, only now he was
+hung under the veranda so as to enjoy fresh air
+and the songs of his companions. For two months
+I endeavoured to keep the dear little creature
+happy; we were all so fond of him, and it seems
+very touching to think that in his times of extremity
+he should have come willingly into captivity
+and felt sure that a kind welcome would
+be accorded him. But no amount of care could
+bring him through the moulting season, the lack
+of a beak to plume his feathers and his great difficulty
+in picking up even the mealworms made
+him weak and sickly. He got out of his cage one
+day into the garden, and a few days after we
+found his poor little body lying dead close to the
+window where he had always found the help he
+needed, and yet we could not but be glad that his
+sorrowful little life was ended.</p>
+
+<p>When robins have been thus tamed for years
+the families they rear are like pet birds; they are<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">p. 193</a></span>
+fed by their parents close to the windows, and
+then come indoors, as if they knew they would be
+welcome everywhere.</p>
+
+<p>There is one feature in the robin's character
+that, as far as I know, is shared by no other bird;
+I mean his adopting a certain spot as his district
+and always keeping to it, just as the stickle-backs
+portion out a pond and jealously defend the
+territory they have chosen. Here, there is a
+special robin to be found at each of the lodges;
+one haunts the Mission Hall and will often sing
+vigorously from the reading-stand while classes are
+going on. A very tame one lives in the coachman's
+house, running about the floor like a little
+brown mouse, and sitting inside the fender on
+cold days to warm himself. He must have met
+with trouble in his early youth, for when first seen
+he was very lame, and had lost the sight of one
+eye. Through kind care he has become well and
+strong, but he is much at the mercy of his enemies,
+who often attack him on his blind side. The
+conservatory, dining-room, and drawing-rooms
+have each their little redbreast visitor; the latter
+is so tame he will take meal-worms from my hand,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">p. 194</a></span>
+and sits on my inkstand singing a sweet, low song
+whilst I write. As long as each bird keeps to his
+domain there is peace, but woe to any intruder!
+The conflicts are desperate, and I have often to
+mediate, and separate two little furies rolling over
+and over on the ground. I suppose it is in this
+way that the idea has arisen about the young
+robins killing the old ones; I cannot ascertain
+that it has any foundation&mdash;in fact, every robin
+fights his neighbour all the year through, except
+when paired and busy with domestic duties. As
+dead redbreasts are not found specially in autumn,
+I do not think there can be any truth in the
+superstition.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 306px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-055" id="illus-055"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p194.png" alt="" title="" width="306" height="98" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">p. 195</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 327px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-056" id="illus-056"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p195.png" alt="YOUNG BIRDS" title="YOUNG BIRDS" width="327" height="223" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="FEEDING_BIRDS_IN_SUMMER" id="FEEDING_BIRDS_IN_SUMMER"></a>
+<h2>FEEDING BIRDS IN SUMMER<br />AND WINTER.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-o-p195.png" alt="O" title="O" width="63" height="107"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+   <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 65px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 52px"></div>
+   <div style="width: 32px; height: 9px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ N wintry mornings, when leaf and twig
+are decked with hoar-frost and the
+ground is hard and dry, affording no
+food for the birds, it is a piteous sight
+to see them cowering under the evergreens
+with ruffled feathers, evidently starving and miserable,
+quietly waiting for the death that must overtake
+many of them unless we come to their rescue.</p></div>
+
+<p>It is one of my delights to feed the small
+"feathered fowls" through all the winter months,
+and I only wish all my readers could enjoy with
+me the lovely scenes of happy bird life to be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">p. 196</a></span>
+witnessed through the French window opposite
+my writing-table. These gatherings of birds are
+the result of many years of persistent kindness and
+thought for the welfare of my bird pets. Their
+tameness cannot be attained all at once; it takes
+time to establish confidence; it needs thought
+about the kinds of food required by various species
+of birds, regularity in feeding, and quiet gentleness
+of manner to avoid frightening any new and timid
+visitors. Doubtless there are very many lovers
+of birds who share this pleasure with me, but for
+those who may not happen to know how to attract
+the feathered tribes I will go a little into detail.</p>
+
+<p>This being a large garden near game preserves,
+and surrounded by a wide, furze-covered common,
+I have been able to attract and tame the ordinary
+wild pheasants by putting out Indian corn, buckwheat,
+and raisins, till now they come to the doorstep
+and look up with their brilliant, red-ringed
+eyes, and feed calmly whilst I watch them. It is
+a really beautiful sight to see three or four cock
+birds, with their golden-bronze plumage glistening
+like polished metal as the morning sun rests upon
+them, and as many of their more sober-coloured<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">p. 197</a></span>
+mates feasting on the dainties they find prepared
+for them; as a rule, they are very amicable and
+feed together like barndoor fowls. When satisfied,
+the brown hens run swiftly away to cover, while
+the cocks, with greater confidence, walk quietly
+away in stately fashion, or remain under the trees.</p>
+
+<p>Wood-pigeons are usually very shy and wary
+birds, yet these also come, six and eight at a time,
+and feed at my window, Indian corn and peas
+being their specialities. I have large quantities
+of beech-nuts and acorns collected every autumn,
+and thus I can scatter this food also for pigeons
+and squirrels all through the winter. Jays, jackdaws,
+rooks, and magpies also approve of acorns
+and beech-nuts, so it is doing a real kindness to
+tribes of birds to reserve this food for them until
+their other stores are exhausted, and we can thus
+bring them within our view and study their interesting
+ways, their modes of feeding, and, I fear
+I must add, their squabbles also, for hungry birds
+are very pugnacious.</p>
+
+<p>Blackbirds and thrushes are very fond of Sultana
+raisins; they also like split groats and brown bread
+crumbs, as also do starlings and, I believe, most<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">p. 198</a></span>
+of the smaller birds. Fat in any shape or form
+will attract the various species of titmice to the
+window. I always keep a small Normandy basket
+full of suet and ham-fat hanging on a nail at
+the window. It is a great rendezvous for these
+charming little pets, and it is also supplied with
+Barcelona nuts for nuthatches, who fully appreciate
+them and carry them off to the nearest tree with
+rugged bark into which they fix the nuts, and then
+hammer at the shell till they can extract the
+contents.</p>
+
+<p>In very hard frosts I used always to put out
+a pan of water, as I feared the birds suffered from
+thirst and needed this help. One day, however,
+I was comforted to see some starlings, after a good
+meal of groats, run off to the grass plot and eagerly
+peck at the hoar-frost, which, while it exists, thus
+supplies the lack of water.</p>
+
+<p>Bewick says linnets are so named from their
+fondness for linseed, and I think most of the
+finches like it. The greenfinch is soon attracted
+by hemp seed, and all the smaller birds by canary
+seed. I hope this paper may induce many kind
+hands to minister to the needs of our feathered<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">p. 199</a></span>
+friends during the winter months. It is sad to
+think of their dying for lack of the food we can
+so easily afford them, and they will be sure to
+repay us by their sweet songs and confiding
+tameness when summer days return.</p>
+
+<p>One is apt to think that winter is the only time
+when birds need our help and bounty, but there
+is almost as much real distress after a long drought
+in summer, especially amongst the insect-eating
+birds.</p>
+
+<p>I was led to think of this by the pathetic
+way in which a hen blackbird came to the French
+window of my room early in June last and stood
+patiently waiting and clicking time after time in
+trouble of <i>some</i> kind I knew, and, supposing it
+might be food, I threw out a plentiful supply of
+soaked brown bread. At once the poor bird went
+to it, devouring ravenously for her own needs, and
+then, filling her beak as full as it would hold, she
+flew off with a supply for her young brood. Then
+came thrushes, robins, sparrows, a whole bevy
+of feathered folk all doing the same thing&mdash;carrying
+the provisions in every direction for unseen families
+at starvation point, and I began to realize that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">p. 200</a></span>
+the month of continued sunshine in which we had
+rejoiced had brought great distress upon the birds
+by drying up the lawns so that no worms could
+be found, and, as it was early in the year, but few
+insects were to be had, so that just when each pair
+of birds had a clamorous brood to provide for the
+food supply had fallen short. Now I understood
+the pathos of the hen blackbird's appeal; her dark
+eyes and note of distress were trying to say to me,
+"I know you care for us; you seemed so kind
+last winter; when we were without food you
+fed us and saved our lives; but now I am in far
+deeper distress&mdash;my children are crying for food,
+the grass is dried up, and the ground so hard that
+I cannot find a single worm, I am thin and worn
+with hunger myself; do help me and my little
+ones, and we will sing you sweet songs in return
+to cheer you when wintry days come back again.
+Does she understand? I've said all this several
+times before, but I thought I would make one last
+appeal before my children die. Yes; she has left
+the room! I will wait. Ah! here it is, just the
+soft food that will suit my little ones: how they
+<i>will</i> rejoice and all want to be fed at once. I hope
+my friend can understand that I am thanking her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">p. 201</a></span>
+with all my heart." Love has a universal language
+and can interpret through varied signs, and thus
+I quite believe the mother bird's heart wished
+to express itself.</p>
+
+<p>Ever since that day I have been careful in
+nesting time to supply suitable and varied food
+for the families of young birds in times of drought,
+for it seems mournful to think of their dying from
+want, in the season of flowers and green leaves,
+when nature is to us so attractive, and rendered all
+the more so by their sweet songs.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 306px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-057" id="illus-057"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p201.png" alt="CHILD AND PET BIRD" title="CHILD AND PET BIRD" width="306" height="231" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">p. 202</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 285px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-058" id="illus-058"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p202.png" alt="RAB MINOR" title="RAB MINOR" width="285" height="285" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="RAB_MINOR." id="RAB_MINOR."></a>
+<h2>RAB, MINOR.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-t-p202.png" alt="T" title="T" width="69" height="118"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+  <div style="width: 68px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 68px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 55px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 35px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ HIS familiar name recalls the delightful
+story of "Rab and his Friends" in
+"Hor&aelig; Subsiciv&aelig;," with its na&iuml;ve description
+of a very original "tyke" of a
+doggie&mdash;a biography which had so lived in
+my recollection that when a queer little fluffy
+dumpling of a puppy was given me I could not
+help giving it the old familiar name, little knowing
+how aptly true the name would prove to be in after
+years.</p></div>
+
+<p>Is there anything more comical than a young
+Scotch terrier puppy, with its preternatural gravity,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">p. 203</a></span>
+its queer, ungainly attempts at play, its tumbles,
+and blue-eyed simplicity, and, best of all, its sage
+look, with head on one side, trying to consider the
+merits of some doggie idea which is puzzling his
+infant brain? Rab went through all the stages of
+puppyhood, showing the usual amount of mischief
+and fun; he might be met carrying about some
+unfortunate slipper frayed to pieces by his busy
+teeth, or burying a favourite bone under a wool
+mat in the drawing-room, or, worse still, it is recorded
+in domestic chronicles that he buried a
+hymn-book in the garden, whereupon the cook
+remarked that she believed he had more religion
+in him than half the Christians; but that
+reasoning was not apparent to any one but herself.</p>
+
+<p>Rab's most notable adventures took place after
+he had emerged from puppyhood. He had a most
+indomitable spirit of disobedience; he would hunt
+rabbits or anything else he could find in the woods,
+and one day he reached home with a snare tightly
+drawn round his neck, and panting distressingly
+for breath; the wire was cut only just in time to
+save his life.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">p. 204</a></span></p>
+<p>Another time he was poisoned by something he
+had eaten, and had a long suffering illness.</p>
+
+<p>His fights with other dogs were fierce and frequent,
+and whilst engaged in a scrimmage with a
+hated rival, Rab was run over by a passing cart,
+and limped home in a very dejected state; no
+bones were broken, but he was an invalid for some
+months in consequence.</p>
+
+<p>At last it was thought needful to tie him up,
+and he had his appointed house and a long chain,
+and with frequent exercise he became quite content.
+One morning our brave little friend was
+found nearly dead, with two terrible wounds in his
+neck, which must have been made by a sharp knife,
+driven twice through his throat, but, strangely
+enough, had each time just missed severing the
+wind-pipe. He had nearly died from loss of blood,
+and was scarcely able to breathe; still, our kind
+servants did not give him up; warm milk and beef
+tea were given him constantly through the day;
+and by night he had revived a little, and was
+evidently going to live. We could never trace the
+origin of this outrage, and could only suppose that
+burglars had purposed breaking into our house,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">p. 205</a></span>
+and, enraged at Rab's barking, had at last got hold
+of, and, as they thought, killed him, and flung the
+body into an adjoining field. Poor little doggie!
+he suffered grievously for his brave defence, and
+for months the wounds were a great distress to him
+and to us; but all that loving care could do was done,
+and once more his wonderful constitution enabled
+him to regain health and strength. We kept at
+that time several very large mastiffs, and the next
+adventure occurred early one morning, when we
+were aroused by a terrific noise in the stable-yard,
+and the message brought to us was to the effect
+that Rab was quite dead. He had been worried
+by one of the mastiffs which had got loose in the
+night. I rose quickly and went to see the poor
+little victim's body, and looking at it, I saw a little
+quiver in the eyelid that led to a gleam of hope. I
+had him carried indoors, and again teaspoons of
+milk, &amp;c., were given, and actually he began to
+revive, and a feeble wag of his tail, seemed to say,
+"I'm very bad, but not dead yet." The sad part
+was that the shaking and worrying he had received
+had reopened the previous wounds, and though
+after a time he was able to get about, he was quite<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">p. 206</a></span>
+a wreck; one ear was gone, and the other, strange
+to say, was but a fragment, like his namesake in
+"Rab and his Friends." Still, he lived to be
+nearly fifteen, and then rheumatism and loss of
+teeth made his life a distress to him, and he was
+peacefully dismissed to the rest he had bravely
+earned by his life of courageous devotion to what
+he thought the path of duty.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 344px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-059" id="illus-059"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p206.png" alt="RAB MINOR RUNNING" title="RAB MINOR RUNNING" width="344" height="192" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">p. 207</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 362px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-060" id="illus-060"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p207.png" alt="NESTLINGS" title="NESTLINGS" width="362" height="209" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="A_VISIT_TO_JAMRACH." id="A_VISIT_TO_JAMRACH."></a>
+<h2>A VISIT TO JAMRACH.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-t-p207.png" alt="T" title="T" width="69" height="118"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+  <div style="width: 68px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 68px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 55px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 35px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ HERE is an old and true saying&mdash;"Everything
+comes to him who
+waits." I thought of this saying while
+on my way to visit the well-known place
+near the London Docks where Mr. Jamrach
+is supposed to keep almost every rare animal, bird,
+and reptile, ready to supply the wants of all
+customers at a moment's notice. For many long
+years I had wished to pay him a visit, but ill-health
+and other causes had proved a hindrance and I
+could hardly believe my wish was going to be
+realized when I found myself on the way to his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">p. 208</a></span>
+menagerie. After driving through a labyrinth of
+narrow, dirty streets, we were at last obliged to get
+out and walk till we came to the shop, and then
+we did indeed find ourselves in the midst of
+"animated nature." We had landed amongst the
+cockatoos, macaws, and parrots, and they greeted
+our arrival with such a chorus of shrieks, screams,
+and hideous cries that my first desire was to rush
+away anywhere out of the reach of such ear-piercing
+sounds. One had to bear it, however, if the
+curious creatures in the various cages were to be
+examined, and after a time the uproar grew less,
+and I could hear a word or two from Mr. Jamrach,
+who called my attention to some armadillos, huge
+armour-plated animals, very curious, but somehow
+not attractive as pets; one could not fondle a thing
+composed of metal plates, shaped like a pig, with a
+tendency to roll itself up into a ball on the slightest
+provocation, and even Mr. Jamrach's argument
+that if I got tired of it as a pet I could have it
+cooked, as they were excellent eating, failed to
+lead me to a purchase. There was a fine, healthy
+toucan, with his marvellous bill, looking sadly out
+of place in a small cage in such a dingy place. Did<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">p. 209</a></span>
+he ever think of his tropical forest home, I wondered,
+and wish himself in happier surroundings?
+A long wooden box with wire front contained rows
+and rows of Grass Parrakeets: many hundreds
+must have been on those perches, one behind the
+other, poor little patient birdies, sitting in solemn
+silence, never moving an inch, for they were wedged
+in as closely as they could sit and how they could
+eat and live seemed a mystery. As I was in quest
+of some small rodents I was asked to follow Mr.
+Jamrach to another place where the animals were
+kept. We came to a back yard with dens and
+cages containing all kinds of tenants, from fierce
+hyenas and wolves to tame deer, monkeys, cats,
+and dogs. A chorus of yelps and barks and
+growls sounded a little uninviting, and a caution
+from Jamrach, to mind the camel did not seize my
+young friend's hat, made us aware of a stately form
+gazing down upon us from a recess we had not
+before noticed. Every nook and corner seemed
+occupied, and in order to see a kangaroo rat I was
+invited up a rickety ladder into a loft where a
+Japanese cat, a large monkey, and sundry other
+creatures lived. I did not take to the kangaroo<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">p. 210</a></span>
+rat, he was too large and formidable to be pleasant,
+and was by no means tame, but to be pulled out of
+the cage by his long tail was, I confess, enough to
+scare the mildest quadruped. At length I was
+shown some Peruvian guinea-pigs. Wonderful little
+creatures! With hair three or four inches long,
+white, yellow and black, set on anyhow, sticking
+out in odd tufts, one side of their heads white and
+the other black, their eyes just like boot buttons,
+they <i>were</i> captivating; and a pair had to be chosen
+forthwith, and packed in a basket with a tortoise
+and a huge Egyptian lizard, and with these spoils
+I was not sorry to leave this place of varied noises
+and smells. The lizard was about fourteen inches
+long, a really grand creature. He came from the
+ruins of ancient Egypt, and looked in his calm
+stateliness as though he might have gazed upon
+the Pharaohs themselves. When placed in the sun
+for a time he would sometimes deign to move a
+few inches, his massive, grey, scaly body looking
+very like a young crocodile. I was greatly teased
+about my fondness for "Rameses," as I called this
+new and majestic pet; there was a great fascination
+about him, and as I really wished to know more of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">p. 211</a></span>
+his ways and habits, I carried the basket in which
+he lived everywhere with me indoors and out, and
+studied all possible ways of feeding him; but alas!
+nothing would induce him to eat. After gazing for
+five minutes at the most tempting mealworm, he
+would at last raise up his mighty head and appear
+to be revolving great ideas to which mealworms
+and all sublunary things must give place. Jamrach
+told me that the lizard would drink milk, so a
+saucerful was placed before him, and once he did
+drink a few drops, but generally he walked into
+and over the saucer as if it did not exist.</p></div>
+
+<p>I believe the poor creature had been without
+food so long that it had lost the power of taking
+nourishment, and to my great regret I found it grew
+weaker and thinner, and at last it died, and all I
+could do was to send the remains to a naturalist
+to be preserved somewhat after the fashion of its
+great namesake.</p>
+
+<p>The odd little guinea-pigs were named Fluff and
+Jamrach, and were a source of much amusement.
+As they could not agree, and as the fights grew
+serious, Jamrach was banished to the stable and
+Fluff occupied a cage in the dining-room. When<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">p. 212</a></span>
+let out it was curious to see how he would always
+keep close to the sides of the room&mdash;never would he
+venture into the middle, the protection of the
+skirting board seemed indispensable, and when let
+out under the tulip-tree he ran round the trunk in
+the same way, only occasionally making an excursion
+to the edge of the branches which rested on
+the ground, the space beyond was a <i>terra incognita</i>
+which could not be explored by the timid little
+beastie.</p>
+
+<p>There the two little guinea-pigs enjoyed a happy
+life on fine days and grew to be friends at last,
+grunting little confidences one to the other and
+going to sleep side by side. They had to be
+watched and their liberty a good deal curtailed
+when we found a weasel began to appear upon the
+scene, and as it is proverbially difficult to catch a
+weasel either awake or asleep, he has not at present
+been captured. I much fear if he ever attacked the
+little Peruvians they would stand a poor chance of
+their lives, for they have no idea of self-defence and
+would fall an easy prey to such a fierce, relentless
+persecutor. Perhaps the gardener may devise
+some way of trapping the wary little creature, so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">p. 213</a></span>
+that my little friends may dwell in peace under
+the shady tree.</p>
+
+<p>As the winter came on the cold prevented Fluff
+going out-of-doors, and he led a most inactive life.
+I don't think he ever had more than two ideas in
+his little brain&mdash;he just lived to eat and sleep, and
+was about as interesting as a stuffed animal would
+have been. He is the only instance of any animal I
+have ever known who seemed to be literally without
+a single habit, apparently without affection,
+without a temper good or bad, with no wishes or
+desires except to be let alone to doze away his
+aimless life.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 318px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-061" id="illus-061"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p213.png" alt="" title="" width="318" height="136" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<p class="newchap"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">p. 214</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 303px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-062" id="illus-062"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p214.png" alt="NEST OF WASPS" title="NEST OF WASPS" width="303" height="250" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="HOW_TO_OBSERVE_NATURE" id="HOW_TO_OBSERVE_NATURE"></a>
+<h2>HOW TO OBSERVE NATURE</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class="wrap_area">
+<img src="images/illus-t-p214.png" alt="T" title="T" width="69" height="118"></img>
+  <div class="shape_wrap">
+  <div style="width: 68px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 68px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 62px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 55px"></div>
+  <div style="width: 35px"></div>
+ </div>
+<p class='ornate'>
+ HERE is all the difference between
+taking a walk simply for exercise, for
+some special errand, or to enjoy conversation
+with one's friends, and the sort
+of quiet observant stroll I am going to ask
+my kind readers to take with me to-day.</p></div>
+
+<p>This beautiful world is full of wonders of every
+kind, full of evidences of the Great Creator's wisdom
+and skill in adapting each created thing to its
+special purpose. The whole realm of nature is
+meant, I believe, to <i>speak to us</i>, to teach us lessons
+in parables&mdash;to lead our hearts upward to God who<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">p. 215</a></span>
+made us and fitted us also for our special place in
+creation.</p>
+
+<p>In the nineteenth Psalm David speaks of the
+two great books God has given us for our instruction.
+In the first six verses he speaks of the teachings
+of the book of nature and the rest of the
+Psalm deals with the written Word of God.</p>
+
+<p>We acknowledge and read the Scriptures as the
+book which reveals the will of God and His
+wondrous works for the welfare of mankind, but
+how many fail to give any time or thought to
+reading the book of nature! Thousands may travel
+and admire beautiful scenery, and derive a certain
+amount of pleasure from nature, just glancing at
+each object, but really observing nothing, and
+thus failing to learn any of the lessons this world's
+beauty is intended to teach, they might almost as
+well have stayed at home save for the benefit of
+fresh air and change of scene. The habit of minute
+and careful observation is seldom taught in childhood,
+and is not very likely to be gained in later
+life when the mind is filled with other things. Yet
+if natural objects are presented attractively to the
+young, how quickly they are interested! Question<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">p. 216</a></span>
+after question is asked, and unconsciously a vast
+amount of information may be conveyed to an
+intelligent child's mind by a simple, happy little
+chat about some bird or insect. This is <i>admirably</i>
+shown in a chapter on Education in the Life of Mrs.
+Sewell. I would strongly urge every mother to read
+and follow the advice there given.</p>
+
+<p>We will now start for our garden walk. We
+have not taken many steps before we are led to
+pause and inquire why there should be little
+patches of grey-looking mud in the small angles of
+the brickwork of the house. Opening one of the
+patches with a penknife we find a hollow cell, and
+in it some green caterpillars just alive but not able
+to crawl. Now I see that the cell is the work of
+one of the solitary mason wasps; she brings the
+material, forms the cell, and when nearly finished
+lays her egg at the bottom and provides these half-killed
+caterpillars as food for the young grub when
+it is hatched, and by the time they are eaten the
+grub becomes a pupa and then hatches into a young
+wasp to begin life on its own account. One day I
+saw a bee go into a hole in the brickwork of the
+house, and getting my net I waited to capture it;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">p. 217</a></span>
+after about five minutes the bee came out and flew
+into the net. It proved to be a solitary mason bee,
+and was doubtless forming a place to lay its egg,
+only, unlike the wasp, she would give the young
+grub pollen from the stamens of flowers to feed
+upon instead of green caterpillars. I remember
+seeing a mass of clay which had been formed into
+a wasp's nest by one of the solitary species, under
+the flap of a pembroke table in an unused room.
+A maid in dusting lifted up the flap, and down fell
+a quantity of fine, dry mud with young grubs in it
+which would soon have hatched into wasps, and revealed
+their rather strange nesting-place. I have in
+my collection a very interesting hornet's nest, which
+was being constructed in the hollow of an old tree.
+I happened to notice a hornet fly into the opening,
+and, looking in, there was a small beginning of a
+nest. It hung from a kind of stalk and consisted
+of only eight cells, each having an egg at the bottom.
+I captured the two hornets, and though I watched
+for a long time no others ever came, so I imagine
+they were the founders of what would have been a
+colony in due time.</p>
+
+<p>But we have been kept a long time engaged<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">p. 218</a></span>
+with these mason wasps. Let us start for our walk.
+As we take our way through the garden we cannot
+help noticing the happy songs of the different birds,
+all in full activity preparing their nests, carolling
+to their mates or seeking food for the little ones.
+There is a loud tapping noise as we pass an old
+fir-tree, but no bird is to be seen, so we go round to
+the other side and trace the noise to a small hole
+near which a quantity of congealed turpentine
+shows that the bark has been pierced by a woodpecker
+and the sap is oozing out. I rap outside
+the hole and in a minute the grey head of a nuthatch
+appears. He is evidently chiselling out a
+"highly desirable residence" for his summer
+quarters in this cosy nook, and the hole being so
+small he will not need to get clay to reduce the
+size of the opening and plaster in his mate, which
+is said to be the curious habit of this bird. Do you
+see that hole about forty feet up the stem of the
+beech opposite? A nuthatch built there six years
+ago; I often watched him going in and out, and
+heard his peculiar cry as he brought food for his mate
+and her young ones. Next year that lodging was
+taken by a starling, who reared a brood there. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">p. 219</a></span>
+year after the nuthatch had it, and then a jackdaw
+built there; and each year I always feel interested
+to see who the lodgers are going to be.</p>
+
+<p>When I was rearing the wild ducks already described,
+a weasel used often to be prowling near the
+coop, and when frightened retreated in this direction.
+It happened one day I was walking softly on
+the grass and saw the weasel playing and frisking
+at the root of that young tree; one seldom has such
+an opportunity of seeing it, for it is very shy and
+has wonderfully quick hearing. It was seeking
+about in the grass, leaping here and there, snuffing
+the wind, with its snake-like, wicked-looking head
+raised to see over the grass stems, and thus at last
+it caught sight of me, and in a second it darted into
+the hole you see there, and I thus learnt where he
+lived, but I have not been able to trace his history
+any further at present.</p>
+
+<p>Did you see that snake? We have many of them
+on the common, and they often cross my path in
+the garden. Happily there are not many of the
+venomous kind: they are smaller than this one, and
+have a <b>V</b>-shaped mark on the head. One day in
+August I was sitting by the open French window<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">p. 220</a></span>
+in the drawing-room when one of these harmless
+snakes came close to me, looked up at me,
+putting its quivering little tongue in and out. I
+suppose it decided that I could be trusted, for it
+glided in and coiled itself round upon my dress
+skirt and seemed to go to sleep. I let it stay
+a good while, but fearing some one might be
+frightened at seeing it there, I reached my parasol
+and with the hooked handle softly took up the
+snake and laid it on the grass-plat outside thinking
+it would go away&mdash;but no, it only turned round
+and came back and coiled itself up in the same
+place. I found it did not mind being touched, so I
+stroked it and made it creep all its length through
+my hand&mdash;not a very pleasant sensation, but a
+curious experience rarely to be met with. When
+the cold, clammy creature had passed out of my
+hand it threw out a most disgusting odour, of which
+I had often read. I imagine it was offended at
+my touching it and did this in self-defence. I had
+at last to carry it a long distance to ensure it should
+not return to the room again.</p>
+
+<p>Some years ago I was witness to the mode in
+which a snake pursues its victim. A large frog<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">p. 221</a></span>
+leaped upon the gravel walk before the windows,
+crying piteously like a child and taking rapid leaps;
+a moment after a large snake appeared swiftly
+pursuing the frog. At last it reached it, and gave
+it a bite which broke its back, and then, being
+alarmed, it darted away amongst some rock-work,
+leaving the frog in a dying state.</p>
+
+<p>This bank we are passing is a favourite winter
+retreat for female humble bees. Early in the
+autumn they begin to scoop out a little tunnel in
+this grassy slope, and when it is deep enough to
+protect them from the frost they retire into it, and
+pushing up the earth behind them close up the
+entrance of the hole, and there lie dormant until the
+warmth of spring tempts them to come out. Then
+they may be found in great numbers on the early
+sallow, and other tree-blossoms, recruiting their
+strength, while they seek a place in some hedge-bank
+wherein to found a new colony.</p>
+
+<p>The Carder bee forms its nest on the ground
+and makes a roof of interwoven moss, from which
+it takes its name. I once gathered the moss from
+such a nest by chance and saw the little mass of
+cells with honey in them. I went away, meaning to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">p. 222</a></span>
+examine it more closely on my return, but a crow
+in the apple-tree overhead chanced to spy the
+nest and made off with it in his beak before I
+could rescue the honey store of the poor little bees
+I had so unwittingly injured.</p>
+
+<p>That old tree-stump is being gradually carried
+away by wasps. The wood is just sufficiently
+decayed to afford the material of which they make
+their nests. You see there are several wasps busily
+rasping pieces of the rotten wood into convenient-sized
+morsels, which they can carry to the nest,
+there to be masticated into the papery layers of
+which the outer walls of the nest are formed.
+This walk used to have a row of grand old silver
+firs of great height, but each winter some of them
+have been blown down till only a few are left.</p>
+
+<p>Some years since I noticed at the root of one
+of them a pile of fine sawdust more than a foot
+high, and found that some wood wasps were
+busily engaged in excavating the interior of the
+tree and forming tunnels in which to lay their
+eggs. I watched them for half an hour and found
+that every half-minute a wasp went in at the
+aperture carrying a blue-bottle or some kind of fly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">p. 223</a></span>
+in its mandibles. Next day I took a friend to see
+the wasps, and while watching them the wind caused
+the immense tree-stem to sway to and fro from its
+base as if in the act of falling, and on examination
+we found it was only held in its place by a small portion
+of root, and though the branches were green, it
+must have been hollow and dead inside, which appears
+to be the way in which silver firs decay, and the
+wasps had found it out and made a delightful home
+in the rotten wood. With some difficulty the great
+tree was safely taken down, and then it was a most
+curious sight to see the endless chambers and
+galleries made in the stem, all tenanted by young
+wasp-grubs and half-dead flies; and all the summer
+they were being hatched in countless numbers.
+The view over our common is lovely from this
+point; it is golden with rich yellow gorse, giving
+cover to innumerable rabbits, which find their way
+into our garden in spite of wire fences and all that
+the gardener can do to keep them out. One clever
+little mother rabbit made her burrow deep down in a
+heap of sawdust close to the stable. My coachman
+put his arm down to the bottom of the hole and
+brought out a little grey furred creature, kicking<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">p. 224</a></span>
+and screaming with wonderful vigour in spite of
+its tender years. The nest was allowed to remain,
+and in a few days the mother removed her brood
+to a hole at the root of a bushy stone-pine, where
+the little ones frisked in and out and looked so
+pretty that I was won over to allow them to stay,
+and, by netting round the tree, we formed a
+miniature warren for the young family; but I fear
+that in course of time we may bitterly repent this
+step, and the numbers may increase to such an
+extent that pinks and lobelia may become things
+of the past and the rabbit warren may have to be
+abolished.</p>
+
+<p>A fox is sometimes seen and hunted in these
+parts. One surprised me by leaping upon the
+window-sill and looking into the drawing-room.
+At first I could not think what it was. It had been
+dug out of its hole; its fur was muddy and torn, its
+eyes piteous in their expression, and when it ran
+slowly on I saw it was very lame. I ran to the
+window to let it in, but though it leaped up to each
+window in succession, they all happened to be shut,
+and I was quite grieved to think the poor, weary
+creature could find no shelter. I am no admirer of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">p. 225</a></span>
+field-sports. I think they give rise to the utmost
+cruelty to the creatures hunted and shot, to the
+horses and dogs employed; and to witness torture
+inflicted on unoffending animals cannot but have a
+debasing effect on the human mind. When once
+any one has seen the anguish of a deer, a fox,
+or hare, at the end of the race, there can be no
+question about the cruelty of the proceeding,
+and to one who loves every created thing as I
+do, it gives the keenest pain to know how much
+suffering of this kind goes on during the hunting
+season.<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a></p>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> I cannot resist quoting and strongly endorsing the following
+lament by Mr. H. Stacy Marks, R.A., as to the way in
+which birds are too frequently treated by the public at large:
+"Many people regarding birds in but three aspects&mdash;as
+things to be either eaten, shot, or worn.... No natural
+history of a bird is complete without recording where the
+last specimen was shot; and should a rare bird visit our
+shores, the hospitality which we accord to the foreign
+refugee is denied, and it is bound to be the victim of powder
+and shot. The fashion of wearing birds or their plumage
+as part of ladies' attire, threatens to exterminate many
+beautiful species, such as the humming-birds of South
+America, the glossy starlings of Africa, and the glorious
+Impeyan pheasant of the Himalayas, with many other
+species."</p></div>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">p. 226</a></span></p>
+<p>There goes a cuckoo, with quite a flight of small
+birds pursuing him wherever he goes.</p>
+
+<p>Small birds seem to have an intense hatred of
+jays and cuckoos, and will often fly at them in the
+nesting season, giving them no peace till they drive
+them out of the garden, knowing full well that
+their own broods are often devoured by the jay,
+and that the cuckoo has designs upon the nests.</p>
+
+<p>Although we are some distance from home, I
+can show you one of my own bees on this furze
+blossom. I have a hive of Swiss, or Ligurian bees,
+which are said to be in some respects superior to
+the English species. The honey is of excellent
+flavour, and the first year I had far more honey
+from the Ligurian hive. I do not think any other
+hives of Ligurians are kept within five miles, and,
+as you see, they have a band of bright yellow on
+the abdomen. I can always tell my own bees when
+I meet with them in my walks on the common or
+in the lanes. I had a rather trying adventure with
+these bees last May. One Sunday evening we
+were just starting for church, about half-past six,
+when my little niece ran in exclaiming that there
+was a great bunch of bees hanging on a branch<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">p. 227</a></span>
+near the hives. I knew what had happened&mdash;my
+very irreverent bees had swarmed on this quiet
+Sunday evening, and they must be hived if
+possible.</p>
+
+<p>My bonnet was soon off and the bee-dress put
+on, and in five minutes the bees were secured and
+settled into a hive. We went to church and were
+not even late, but&mdash;during the first prayer I heard
+ominous sounds of a furious bee under my dress; it
+was, fortunately, a partly transparent material, and
+glancing furtively about I saw my little friend
+under the skirt going up and down with an angry
+biz-z-z. Only the pocket-hole could release him,
+so I held that safely in my hand all through the
+service, lest the congregation might suffer the
+wrath of a furious bee, which in truth is no light
+matter, for in blind fury it will rush at the first
+person it meets and leave its sting in the face or
+hand. Happily I succeeded in bringing the bee
+home again, and resolved to avoid hiving swarms
+before church-time in future.</p>
+
+<p>You see under the drooping boughs of the fir-tree
+yonder an old stone basin, well known to all
+the birds in the neighbourhood, for there they always<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">p. 228</a></span>
+find a supply of fresh water and food of various
+kinds to suit all tastes. As it is opposite the
+dining-room window, it is very interesting to see
+a tame jay and sundry squirrels enjoying the acorns
+which were collected for them last autumn and
+stored up so as to keep the basin well supplied all
+through the winter and spring, until other food
+should be plentiful. Finches, robins, and sparrows
+find wheat and crumbs to their taste, and take their
+daily bath not without some squabbling as to who
+shall have it first&mdash;a difficulty which is sometimes
+settled by a portly blackbird appearing on the
+scene and scattering the smaller folk, whilst he takes
+his early tubbing and sends up showers of spray
+in the process. Very pretty are the scenes on that
+same stone basin when in early summer a mother
+bird brings her little tribe of downy, chirping babes,
+and feeds each little gaping mouth with some
+suitable morsels from the store she finds there.</p>
+
+<p>A sheaf of corn in winter is also a great boon
+to the starved-out birdies, when snow has long
+deprived them of their natural food, and the water
+supply has to be often renewed on freezing days,
+for many a bird dies in winter from lack of water,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">p. 229</a></span>
+all its usual supplies being frozen. The tameness
+of birds in severe weather is a touching sign of their
+distress, and a mute appeal to us to help them.</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"The fowls of heaven</span><br />
+<span class="i0">Tam'd by the cruel season, crowd around</span><br />
+<span class="i0">The winnowing store, and claim the little boon</span><br />
+<span class="i0">Which Providence assigns them."</span><br />
+</div></div>
+
+<p>It is pleasant to think that they seldom appeal
+in vain. "Crumbs for the birds" are scattered by
+kindly little hands everywhere in winter, and in
+many a house a pet sonsie little robin is a
+cherished visitor, always welcome to his small
+share of the good things of this life.</p>
+
+<p>Our ramble might be indefinitely prolonged and
+still be full of interest and instruction, but in
+these simple remarks enough has been shown,
+I trust, to lead many to <i>think</i> and <i>observe</i> closely
+every, even the minutest, thing that catches their
+attention whilst out for a ramble in lanes and
+fields, even a microscopic moss upon an old wall
+has been suggestive of many lovely thoughts, with
+which I will conclude our ramble and this chapter.</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">p. 230</a></span></p>
+
+<table border="0" width="375" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<tr><td>
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"It was not all a tale of eld,</span><br />
+<span class="i0">That fairies, who their revels held</span><br />
+<span class="i0">By moonlight, in the greenwood shade</span><br />
+<span class="i0">Their beakers of the moss-cups made.</span><br />
+<span class="i0">The wondrous light which science burns</span><br />
+<span class="i0">Reveals those lovely jewelled urns!</span><br />
+<span class="i0">Fair lace-work spreads from roughest stems</span><br />
+<span class="i0">And shows each tuft a mine of gems.</span><br />
+<span class="i2">Voices from the silent sod,</span><br />
+<span class="i2">Speaking of the Perfect God.</span><br />
+</div>
+<div class="stanza"><br />
+<span class="i0">Fringeless, or fringed, and fringed again,</span><br />
+<span class="i0">No single leaflet formed in vain;</span><br />
+<span class="i0">What wealth of heavenly wisdom lies</span><br />
+<span class="i0">Within one moss-cup's mysteries!</span><br />
+<span class="i0">And few may know what silvery net,</span><br />
+<span class="i0">Down in its mimic depths is set</span><br />
+<span class="i0">To catch the rarest dews that fall</span><br />
+<span class="i0">Upon the dry and barren wall.</span><br />
+<span class="i2">Voices from the silent sod,</span><br />
+<span class="i2">Speaking of the Perfect God."</span><br />
+</div>
+<p class="right">L. N. R.</p>
+</div>
+</td></tr></table>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 226px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-063" id="illus-063"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p230.png" alt="SNAKE IN A CIRCLE" title="SNAKE IN A CIRCLE, End." width="226" height="237" /><br />
+</div>
+<hr class="major" />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">p. 231</a></span></p>
+
+<p>BOOKS FOR</p>
+<p>RECREATION</p>
+<p><span class="smcap">And</span> STUDY</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 38px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-064" id="illus-064"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p231.png" alt="" title="" width="38" height="32" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="right">
+                           PUBLISHED BY<br />
+                           T. FISHER UNWIN,<br />
+                           11, PATERNOSTER<br />
+                           BUILDINGS, LONDON,<br />
+                           E.C. ....<br />
+</p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>SIX-SHILLING NOVELS</h2>
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><i>In uniform green cloth, large crown 8vo., gilt tops</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+</div>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 41px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-065" id="illus-065"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p232.png" alt="" title="" width="41" height="25" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Effie Hetherington.</b> By <span class="smcap">Robert Buchanan</span>. Second Edition.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>An Outcast of the Islands.</b> By <span class="smcap">Joseph Conrad</span>. Second Edition.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Almayer's Folly.</b> By <span class="smcap">Joseph Conrad</span>. Second Edition.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The Ebbing of the Tide.</b> By <span class="smcap">Louis Becke</span>. Second Edition.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>A First Fleet Family.</b> By <span class="smcap">Louis Becke</span> and <span class="smcap">Walter Jeffery</span>.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Paddy's Woman,</b> and Other Stories. By <span class="smcap">Humphrey James</span>.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Clara Hopgood.</b> By <span class="smcap">Mark Rutherford</span>. Second Edition.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The Tales of John Oliver Hobbes.</b> Portrait of the Author. Second
+Edition.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The Stickit Minister</b> By <span class="smcap">S. R. Crockett</span>. Eleventh Edition.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The Lilac Sunbonnet</b> By <span class="smcap">S. R. Crockett</span>. Sixth Edition.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The Raiders.</b> By <span class="smcap">S. R. Crockett</span>. Eighth Edition.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The Grey Man.</b> By <span class="smcap">S. R. Crockett</span>.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>In a Man's Mind.</b> By <span class="smcap">J. R. Watson</span>.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>A Daughter of the Fen.</b> By <span class="smcap">J. T. Bealby</span>. Second Edition.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The Herb-Moon.</b> By <span class="smcap">John Oliver Hobbes</span>. Third Edition.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Nancy Noon.</b> By <span class="smcap">Benjamin Swift</span>. Second Edition. With New
+Preface.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Mr. Magnus.</b> By <span class="smcap">F. Reginald Statham</span>. Second Edition.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland.</b> By <span class="smcap">Olive Schreiner</span>.
+Frontispiece.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Pacific Tales.</b> By <span class="smcap">Louis Becke</span>. With Frontispiece Portrait of
+the Author. Second Edition.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Mrs. Keith's Crime.</b> By Mrs. <span class="smcap">W. K. Clifford</span>. Sixth Edition.
+With Portrait of Mrs. Keith by the Hon. <span class="smcap">John Collier</span>, and a New Preface by
+the Author.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Hugh Wynne.</b> By Dr. S. <span class="smcap">Weir Mitchell</span>. With Frontispiece
+Illustration.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The Tormentor.</b> By <span class="smcap">Benjamin Swift</span>, Author of "Nancy Noon."</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Prisoners of Conscience.</b> By <span class="smcap">Amelia E. Barr</span>, Author of "Jan
+Vedder's Wife." With 12 Illustrations.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The Gods, some Mortals and Lord Wickenham.</b> New Edition.
+By <span class="smcap">John Oliver Hobbes</span>.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The Outlaws of the Marches.</b> By Lord <span class="smcap">Ernest Hamilton.</span>
+Fully illustrated.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The School for Saints</b>: Part of the History of the Right Honourable
+Robert Orange, M.P. By <span class="smcap">John Oliver Hobbes</span>, Author of "Sinner's Comedy,"
+"Some Emotions and a Moral," "The Herb Moon," &amp;c.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The People of Clopton.</b> By <span class="smcap">George Bartram</span>.</p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>EFFIE HETHERINGTON</h2>
+
+<p class="pub">
+<span style="margin-left: 75%">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 60%">ROBERT BUCHANAN</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Second Edition. Crown 8vo., cloth,</i> <b>6s.</b></p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 50px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-066" id="illus-066"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p233.png" alt="" title="" width="50" height="34" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"Mr. Robert Buchanan has written several
+novels ... but among those which we know,
+there is not one so nearly redeemed by its
+ability and interest.... The girl is simply
+odious; but Mr. Buchanan is a poet&mdash;it would
+seem sometimes <i>malgr&eacute; lui</i>, in this instance it is
+<i>quand m&ecirc;me</i>&mdash;and he dowers the worthless
+Effie with a rugged, half-misanthropic, steadfast
+lover, whose love, never rewarded, is proved by
+as great a sacrifice as fact or fiction has ever
+known, and who is almost as striking a figure as
+Heathcliff in 'Wuthering Heights.'"&mdash;<i>World</i>.</p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>WORKS BY JOSEPH CONRAD</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub">I.</p></div>
+
+<h3>AN OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS</h3>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p></div>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p class="pub">"Subject to the qualifications thus disposed of (<i>vide</i> first part of notice),
+'An Outcast of the Islands' is perhaps the finest piece of fiction that has been
+published this year, as 'Almayer's Folly' was one of the finest that was published
+in 1895.... Surely this is real romance&mdash;the romance that is real.
+Space forbids anything but the merest recapitulation of the other living
+realities of Mr. Conrad's invention&mdash;of Lingard, of the inimitable Almayer,
+the one-eyed Babalatchi, the Naturalist, of the pious Abdulla&mdash;all novel, all
+authentic. Enough has been written to show Mr. Conrad's quality. He
+imagines his scenes and their sequence like a master; he knows his individualities
+and their hearts; he has a new and wonderful field in this East Indian
+Novel of his.... Greatness is deliberately written; the present writer has
+read and re-read his two books, and after putting this review aside for some
+days to consider the discretion of it, the word still stands."&mdash;<i>Saturday Review.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub">II.</p>
+</div>
+
+<h3>ALMAYER'S FOLLY</h3>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Second Edition. Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+<p class="center"><span style="margin-left: 1em">"<b>This startling, unique, splendid book.</b>"</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="blockquot">
+<p class="rightpub"><span style="margin-left: 3.5em"><span class="smcap">Mr. T. P. O'Connor</span>, M.P.</span></p>
+</div>
+<div class="blockquot"><p class="pub">"This is a decidedly powerful story of an uncommon type, and breaks fresh
+ground in fiction.... All the leading characters in the book&mdash;Almayer, his
+wife, his daughter, and Dain, the daughter's native lover&mdash;are well drawn, and
+the parting between father and daughter has a pathetic naturalness about it,
+unspoiled by straining after effect. There are, too, some admirably graphic
+passages in the book. The approach of a monsoon is most effectively
+described.... The name of Mr. Joseph Conrad is new to us, but it appears
+to us as if he might become the Kipling of the Malay Archipelago."&mdash;<i><ins class="transcriber"
+ title="Transcriber's note: missing '.' added.">Spectator.</ins></i></p></div>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+
+<h3>THE EBBING OF THE TIDE</h3>
+<p class="centerpub">BY<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em">LOUIS BECKE</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 6.5em">Author of "By Reef and Palm"</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Second Edition. Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p></div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 34px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-067" id="illus-067"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p235.png" alt="" title="" width="34" height="30" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p class="pub">"Mr. Louis Becke wields a powerful pen, with the additional advantage
+that he waves it in unfrequented places, and summons up with it the elemental
+passions of human nature.... It will be seen that Mr. Becke is somewhat
+of the fleshly school, but with a pathos and power not given to the ordinary
+professors of that school.... Altogether for those who like stirring stories
+cast in strange scenes, this is a book to be read."&mdash;<i>National Observer.</i></p></div>
+
+<h3>PACIFIC TALES</h3>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub">BY<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em">LOUIS BECKE</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 6.5em">With a Portrait of the Author</span><br />
+</p></div>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Second Edition. Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p></div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 34px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-068" id="illus-068"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p235b.png" alt="" title="" width="26" height="25" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p class="pub">"The appearance of a new book by Mr. Becke has become an event of note&mdash;and
+very justly. No living author, if we except Mr. Kipling, has so amazing
+a command of that unhackneyed vitality of phrase that most people call by
+the name of realism. Whether it is scenery or character or incident that he
+wishes to depict, the touch is ever so dramatic and vivid that the reader is
+conscious of a picture and impression that has no parallel save in the records
+of actual sight and memory."&mdash;<i>Westminster Gazette.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Another series of sketches of island life in the South Seas, not inferior to
+those contained in 'By Reef and Palm.'"&mdash;<i>Speaker.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"The book is well worth reading. The author knows what he is talking
+about and has a keen eye for the picturesque."&mdash;<span class="smcap">G. B. Burgin</span> in <i>To-day</i>.</p>
+
+<p class="pub">"A notable contribution to the romance of the South Seas."</p>
+
+<p class="rightpub"><span class="smcap">T. P. O'Connor</span>, M.P., in <i>The Graphic</i>.</p></div>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>PADDY'S WOMAN</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><span style="margin-left: 6.5em">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7.5em">HUMPHREY JAMES</span><br />
+</p></div>
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Crown 8vo.</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 44px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-069" id="illus-069"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p236.png" alt="" title="" width="44" height="27" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"Traits of the Celt of humble circumstances are copied
+with keen appreciation and unsparing accuracy." <i>Scotsman.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"... They are full of indescribable charm and
+pathos."&mdash;<i>Bradford Observer.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"The outstanding merit of this series of stories is that
+they are absolutely true to life ... the photographic
+accuracy and minuteness displayed are really marvellous."</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><i>Aberdeen Free Press.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"'Paddy's Woman and Other Stories' by Humphrey
+James; a volume written in the familiar diction of the
+Ulster people themselves, with <b>perfect realism and very
+remarkable ability.... For genuine human nature
+and human relations, and humour of an indescribable
+kind, we are unable to cite a rival to this volume.</b>"</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><i>The World.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"For a fine subtle piece of humour we are inclined to
+think that '<b>A Glass of Whisky</b>' takes a lot of beating....
+In short Mr. Humphrey James has given us a delightful
+book, and one which does as much credit to his heart as to
+his head. We shall look forward with a keen anticipation
+to the next 'writings' by this shrewd, 'cliver,' and compassionate
+young author."&mdash;<i>Bookselling.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>CLARA HOPGOOD</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><span style="margin-left: 6.5em">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7.5em">MARK RUTHERFORD</span><br />
+<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 6.5em"><i>EDITED</i> BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7.5em">REUBEN SHAPCOTT</span><br />
+</p></div>
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Second Edition.</i> <i>Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+
+<p class="centerpub">
+(<i>The Third and Cheaper Edition is now ready, Crown 8vo.,</i><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 4.5em"><i>cloth</i>, <b>3s. 6d.</b><ins class="transcriber"
+ title="Transcriber's note: printer's bold removed.">)</ins></span><br />
+</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 39px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-070" id="illus-070"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p237.png" alt="" title="" width="39" height="28" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"The writer who goes by the name of Mark Rutherford
+is not the most popular novelist of his time by any means.
+There are writers with names which that recluse genius
+has never heard of, probably, whose stories give palpitations
+to thousands of gentle souls, while his own are
+quietly read by no more than as many hundreds. Yet his
+publisher never announces a new story by the Author of
+'Mark Rutherford's Autobiography,' and 'The Revolution
+in Tanner's Lane,'&mdash;which we believe to be one of the
+most remarkable bits of writing that these times can boast
+of&mdash;without strongly exciting the interest of many who
+know books as precious stones are known in Hatton
+Garden.... 'Clara Hopgood' is entirely out of the
+way of all existing schools of novel-writing.... Had
+we to select a good illustration of 'Mark's way' as distinguished
+from the way of modern storytellers in general,
+we should point to the chapter in which Baruch visits his
+son Benjamin in this narration. Nothing could be more
+simple, nothing more perfect."&mdash;<i>Pall Mall Gazette.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+
+<p style="text-indent: 0em; word-spacing: 0.35em; letter-spacing: 0.25em; font-weight: 400">
+<span style="margin-left: 2em">A FIRST FLEET FAMILY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em">BEING A HITHERTO</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em">UNPUBLISHED NARRATIVE</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em">OF CERTAIN REMARKABLE</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em">ADVENTURES COMPILED</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em">FROM THE PAPERS OF</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em">SERGEANT WILLIAM</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em">DEW, OF THE MARINES</span><br />
+</p>
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub">BY<br />
+LOUIS BECKE and WALTER JEFFERY<br />
+</p>
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Second Edition.</i> <i>Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s</b>.</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 37px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-071" id="illus-071"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p238.png" alt="" title="" width="37" height="29" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"As convincingly real and vivid as a narrative can
+be."&mdash;<i>Sketch.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"No maker of plots could work out a better story of its
+kind, nor balance it more neatly."&mdash;<i>Daily Chronicle.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"A book which describes a set of characters varied and
+so attractive as the more prominent figures in this romance
+and a book so full of life, vicissitude, and peril, should be
+welcomed by every discreet novel reader."&mdash;<i>Yorkshire Post.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"A very interesting tale, written in clear and vigorous
+English."&mdash;<i>Globe.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"The novel is a happy blend of truth and fiction, with a
+purpose that will be appreciated by many readers; it has
+also the most exciting elements of the tale of adventure."&mdash;<i>Morning Post.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>THE TALES OF JOHN OLIVER HOBBES</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="rightpub">
+With a Frontispiece Portrait of the Author</p>
+<p class="centerpub">
+<i>Second Edition.</i> <i>Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 38px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-072" id="illus-072"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p239a.png" alt="" title="" width="38" height="22" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"The cleverness of them all is extraordinary."&mdash;<i>Guardian.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"The volume proves how little and how great a thing it is to write a
+'Pseudonym.' Four whole 'Pseudonyms' ... are easily contained
+within its not extravagant limits, and these four little books have given
+John Oliver Hobbes a recognized position as a master of epigram and
+narrative comedy."&mdash;<i>St. James's Gazette.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"As her star has been sudden in its rise so may it stay long with us!
+Some day she may give us something better than these tingling, pulsing,
+mocking, epigrammatic morsels."&mdash;<i>Times.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"There are several literary ladies, of recent origin, who have tried
+to come up to the society ideal; but John Oliver Hobbes is by far the
+best writer of them all, by far the most capable artist in fiction....
+She is clever enough for anything."&mdash;<i>Saturday Review.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="mini" />
+
+<h2>THE HERB MOON</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><span style="margin-left: 6.5em">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7.5em">JOHN OLIVER HOBBES</span>
+</p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Third Edition, Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 31px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-073" id="illus-073"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p239b.png" alt="" title="" width="31" height="21" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"The jaded reader who needs sauce for his literary appetite cannot
+do better than buy 'The Herb Moon.'"&mdash;<i>Literary World.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"A book to hail with more than common pleasure. The epigrammatic
+quality, the power of rapid analysis and brilliant presentation
+are there, and added to these a less definable quality, only to be
+described as charm.... 'The Herb Moon' is as clever as most of
+its predecessors, and far less artificial."&mdash;<i>Athen&aelig;um.</i></p>
+
+<h2>THE STICKIT MINISTER AND SOME COMMON MEN<br /></h2>
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><span style="margin-left: 6.5em">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7.5em">S. R. CROCKETT</span></p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Eleventh Edition.</i> <i>Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 36px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-074" id="illus-074"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p240a.png" alt="" title="" width="36" height="25" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"Here is one of the books which are at present coming singly and at long
+intervals, like early swallows, to herald, it is to be hoped, a larger flight.
+When the larger flight appears, the winter of our discontent will have passed,
+and we shall be able to boast that the short story can make a home east as
+well as west of the Atlantic. There is plenty of human nature&mdash;of the Scottish
+variety, which is a very good variety&mdash;in 'The Stickit Minister' and its companion
+stories; plenty of humour, too, of that dry, pawky kind which is a
+monopoly of 'Caledonia, stern and wild'; and, most plentiful of all, a quiet
+perception and reticent rendering of that underlying pathos of life which is to
+be discovered, not in Scotland alone, but everywhere that a man is found who
+can see with the heart and the imagination as well as the brain. Mr. Crockett
+has given us a book that is not merely good, it is what his countrymen would
+call 'by-ordinar' good,' which, being interpreted into a tongue understanded of
+the southern herd, means that it is excellent, with a somewhat exceptional kind
+of excellence."&mdash;<i>Daily Chronicle.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="mini" />
+
+<h2>THE LILAC SUN-BONNET</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><span style="margin-left: 6.5em">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7.5em">S. R. CROCKETT</span></p>
+
+<p class="centerpub">
+<i>Sixth Edition.</i> <i>Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 32px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-075" id="illus-075"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p240b.png" alt="" title="" width="32" height="23" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"Mr. Crockett's 'Lilac Sun-Bonnet' 'needs no bush.' Here is a pretty love
+tale, and the landscape and rural descriptions carry the exile back into the
+Kingdom of Galloway. Here, indeed, is the scent of bog-myrtle and peat.
+After inquiries among the fair, I learn that of all romances, they best love,
+not 'sociology,' not 'theology,' still less, open manslaughter, for a motive, but,
+just love's young dream, chapter after chapter. From Mr. Crockett they get
+what they want, 'hot with,' as Thackeray admits that he liked it."</p>
+
+<p class="rightpub">Mr. <span class="smcap">Andrew Lang</span> in <i>Longman's Magazine</i>.</p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>THE RAIDERS</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><span style="margin-left: 6.5em">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7.5em">S. R. CROCKETT</span></p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Eighth Edition.</i> <i>Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 42px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-076" id="illus-076"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p241.png" alt="" title="" width="42" height="26" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"A thoroughly enjoyable novel, full of fresh, original, and
+accurate pictures of life long gone by."&mdash;<i>Daily News.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"A strikingly realistic romance."&mdash;<i>Morning Post.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"A stirring story.... Mr. Crockett's style is charming. My
+Baronite never knew how musical and picturesque is Scottish-English
+till he read this book."&mdash;<i>Punch.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"The youngsters have their Stevenson, their Barrie, and now
+a third writer has entered the circle, S. R. Crockett, with a lively
+and jolly book of adventures, which the paterfamilias pretends
+to buy for his eldest son, but reads greedily himself and won't
+let go till he has turned over the last page.... Out of such
+historical elements and numberless local traditions the author
+has put together an exciting tale of adventures on land and sea."
+<i>Frankfurter Zeitung.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="mini" />
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>SOME SCOTCH NOTICES.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Galloway folk should be proud to rank 'The Raiders' among
+the classics of the district."&mdash;<i>Scotsman.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Mr. Crockett's 'The Raiders' is one of the great literary
+successes of the season."&mdash;<i>Dundee Advertiser.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Mr. Crockett has achieved the distinction of having produced
+the book of the season."&mdash;<i>Dumfries and Galloway Standard.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"The story told in it is, as a story, nearly perfect."
+<i>Aberdeen Daily Free Press.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"'The Raiders' is one of the most brilliant efforts of recent
+fiction."&mdash;<i>Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>THE GREY MAN</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><span style="margin-left: 6.5em">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7.5em">S. R. CROCKETT</span></p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+
+<p class="blockquot" style="text-indent: 0em;">
+<i>Also, an Edition de Luxe, with 26 Drawings by</i><br />
+<span class="smcap">Seymour Lucas, R.A.</span>, <i>limited to 250 copies, signed</i><br />
+<i>by Author. Crown 4to., cloth gilt</i>, <b>21s.</b> <i>net</i>.<br />
+</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 42px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-077" id="illus-077"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p242.png" alt="" title="" width="42" height="34" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"It has nearly all the qualities which go to make a book
+of the first-class. Before you have read twenty pages you
+know that you are reading a classic."&mdash;<i>Literary World.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"All of that vast and increasing host of readers who
+prefer the novel of action to any other form of fiction
+should, nay, indeed, must, make a point of reading this
+exceedingly fine example of its class."&mdash;<i>Daily Chronicle.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"With such passages as these [referring to quotations],
+glowing with tender passion, or murky with horror,
+even the most insatiate lover of romance may feel that
+Mr. Crockett has given him good measure, well pressed
+down and running over."&mdash;<i>Daily Telegraph.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>A DAUGHTER OF THE<br />FEN</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><span style="margin-left: 6.5em">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7.5em">J. T. BEALBY</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Second Edition.</i> <i>Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 34px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-078" id="illus-078"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p243a.png" alt="" title="" width="34" height="25" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"It will deserve notice at the hands of such as are interested in the
+ways and manner of living of a curious race that has ceased to be."
+<i>Daily Chronicle.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"For a first book 'A Daughter of the Fen' is full of promise."&mdash;<i>Academy.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"This book deserves to be read for its extremely interesting account of
+life in the Fens and for its splendid character study of Mme. Dykereave."
+<i>Star.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Deserves high praise."&mdash;<i>Scotsman.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"It is an able, interesting ... an exciting book, and is well worth
+reading. And when once taken up it will be difficult to lay it down."
+<i>Westminster Gazette.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="mini" />
+
+<h2>IN A MAN'S MIND</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><span style="margin-left: 6.5em">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 6em">JOHN REAY WATSON</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 38px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-079" id="illus-079"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p243b.png" alt="" title="" width="38" height="25" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"We regard the book as well worth the effort of reading."&mdash;<i>British
+Review.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"The book is clever, very clever."&mdash;<i>Dundee Advertiser.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"The power and pathos of the book are undeniable."&mdash;<i>Liverpool Post.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"It is a book of some promise."&mdash;<i>Newsagent.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Mr. Watson has hardly a rival among Australian writers, past or
+present. There is real power in the book&mdash;power of insight, power of
+reflection, power of analysis, power of presentation.... 'Tis a very
+well made book&mdash;not a set of independent episodes strung on the
+thread of a name or two, but closely interwoven to the climax."
+<i>Sydney Bulletin.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"There is behind it all a power of drawing human nature that in
+time arrests the attention."&mdash;<i>Athen&aelig;um.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>NANCY NOON</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><span style="margin-left: 6.5em">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7.5em">BENJAMIN SWIFT</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Second Edition.</i> <i>Cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+</div>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 32px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-080" id="illus-080"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p244.png" alt="" title="" width="32" height="29" /><br />
+</div>
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><b>Some Reviews on the First Edition.</b></p>
+</div>
+<p class="pub">"'Nancy Noon' is perhaps the strongest book of the year, certainly by far
+the strongest book which has been published by any new writer.... <ins class="transcriber"
+ title="Transcriber's note: missing period added">Mr.</ins>
+Swift contrives to keep his book from end to end real, passionate, even intense.</p>
+
+<p class="pub">... If Mr. Meredith had never written, one would have predicted, with the
+utmost confidence, a great future for Mr. Benjamin Swift, and even as it is I
+have hopes."&mdash;<i>Sketch.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Certainly a promising first effort."&mdash;<i>Whitehall Review.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"If 'Nancy Noon' be Mr. Swift's first book, it is a success of an uncommon
+kind."&mdash;<i>Dundee Advertiser.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"'Nancy Noon' is one of the most remarkable novels of the year, and the
+author, avowedly a beginner, has succeeded in gaining a high position in the
+ranks of contemporary writers.... All his characters are delightful. In the
+heat of sensational incidents or droll scenes we stumble on observations that
+set us reflecting, and but for an occasional roughness of style&mdash;elliptical,
+Carlyle mannerisms&mdash;the whole is admirably written."&mdash;<i>Westminster Gazette.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Mr. Swift has the creative touch and a spark of genius."&mdash;<i>Manchester
+Guardian.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Mr. Swift has held us interested from the first to the last page of his
+novel."&mdash;<i>World.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"The writer of 'Nancy Noon' has succeeded in presenting a powerfully
+written and thoroughly interesting story."&mdash;<i>Scotsman.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"We are bound to admit that the story interested us all through, that it
+absorbed us towards the end, and that not until the last page had been read
+did we find it possible to lay the book down."&mdash;<i>Daily Chronicle.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"It is a very strong book, very vividly coloured, very fascinating in its style,
+very compelling in its claim on the attention, and not at all likely to be soon
+forgotten."&mdash;<i>British Weekly.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"A clever book.... The situations and ensuing complications are dramatic,
+and are handled with originality and daring throughout."&mdash;<i>Daily News.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Mr. Benjamin Swift has written a vastly entertaining book."&mdash;<i>Academy.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>MR. MAGNUS</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><span style="margin-left: 6.5em">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 5.5em">F. REGINALD STATHAM</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Second Edition.</i> <i>Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+</div>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 38px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-081" id="illus-081"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p245.png" alt="" title="" width="38" height="29" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><b>Some Press Opinions on the First Edition.</b></p>
+</div>
+<p class="pub">"One of the most powerful and vividly written novels of the
+day."&mdash;<i>Nottingham Guardian.</i><br />
+
+"A grim, terrible, and convincing picture."&mdash;<i>New Age.</i><br />
+
+"Very impressive."&mdash;<i>Saturday Review.</i><br />
+
+"Distinctly readable."&mdash;<i>Speaker.</i><br />
+
+"A remarkable book."
+<i>Standard.</i><br />
+
+"Full of incident."&mdash;<i>Liverpool Mercury.</i><br />
+
+"One of the most important and timely books ever written."
+<i>Newcastle Daily Mercury.</i><br />
+
+"A vivid and stirring narrative."&mdash;<i>Globe.</i><br />
+
+"An exceedingly clever and remarkable production."&mdash;<i>World.</i><br />
+
+"A book to be read."&mdash;<i>Newsagent.</i><br />
+
+"A terrible picture."&mdash;<i>Sheffield Independent.</i><br />
+
+"One of the best stories lately published."&mdash;<i>Echo.</i><br />
+
+"Worth reading."&mdash;<i>Guardian.</i> "A sprightly book."&mdash;<i>Punch.</i><br />
+
+"The story is very much brought up to date."&mdash;<i>Times.</i><br />
+
+"Vivid and convincing."&mdash;<i>Daily Chronicle.</i><br />
+
+"The story is good and well told."&mdash;<i>Pall Mall Gazette.</i><br />
+
+"Ought to be immensely popular."&mdash;<i>Reynolds' Weekly Newspaper.</i><br />
+
+"A most readable story."&mdash;<i>Glasgow Herald.</i><br />
+
+"A brilliant piece of work."&mdash;<i>Daily Telegraph.</i><br />
+
+"The story should make its mark."&mdash;<i>Bookseller.</i><br />
+
+"Admirably written."&mdash;<i>Sheffield Daily Telegraph.</i><br />
+
+"The more widely it is read the better."&mdash;<i>Manchester Guardian.</i><br />
+
+"Will find many appreciative readers."&mdash;<i>Aberdeen Free Press.</i><br />
+
+"Exciting reading."&mdash;<i>Daily Mail.</i><br />
+
+"Can be heartily recommended."&mdash;<i>Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper.</i><br />
+
+"A well-written and capable story."&mdash;<i>People.</i><br />
+
+"Well written."&mdash;<i>Literary World.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>TROOPER PETER HALKET<br />OF MASHONALAND</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><span style="margin-left: 6.5em">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7em">OLIVE SCHREINER</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7em">Author of "Dreams,"</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 7em">"Real Life and Dream Life," &amp;c.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+</div>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 40px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-082" id="illus-082"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p246.png" alt="" title="" width="40" height="33" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"We advise our readers to purchase and read Olive
+Schreiner's new book 'Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland.'
+Miss Schreiner is one of the few magicians of
+modern English literature, and she has used the great
+moral, as well as the great literary, force of her style to
+great effect."&mdash;<i>Daily Chronicle.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"The story is one that is certain to be widely read, and
+it is well that it should be so, especially at this moment;
+it grips the heart and haunts the imagination. To have
+written such a book is to render a supreme service, for
+it is as well to know what the rough work means of
+subjugating inferior races."&mdash;<i>Daily News.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Some of the imaginative passages are very fine....
+The book is powerfully written."&mdash;<i>Scotsman.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Is well and impressively written."&mdash;<i>Pall Mall Gazette.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>MRS. KEITH'S CRIME</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<p class="centerpub"><span style="margin-left: 6.5em">BY</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 6.5em">MRS. W. K. CLIFFORD</span><br />
+<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 6.5em">With a Portrait of Mrs. Keith by the</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left:  6.5em">Hon. John Collier.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Sixth Edition.</i> <i>Crown 8vo., cloth</i>, <b>6s.</b></p>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 39px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-083" id="illus-083"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p247.png" alt="" title="" width="39" height="28" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="pub">"Is certainly the strongest book that Mrs. W. K.
+Clifford has given to the public. It is probably too the
+most popular."&mdash;<i>World.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"It is charmingly told."&mdash;<i>Literary World.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"A novel of extraordinary dramatic force, and it will
+doubtless be widely read in its present very cheap and
+attractive form."&mdash;<i>Star.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Mrs. Clifford's remarkable tale."&mdash;<i>Athen&aelig;um.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Will prove a healthy tonic to readers who have
+recently been taking a course of shilling shocker mental
+medicine.... There are many beautiful womanly
+touches throughout the pages of this interesting volume,
+and it can be safely recommended to readers old and
+young."&mdash;<i>Aberdeen Free Press.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>SOME 3/6 NOVELS</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 64px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-084" id="illus-084"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p248.png" alt="" title="" width="64" height="26" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="centerpub">Uniform Edition of <span class="smcap">Mark Rutherford's</span> works. Edited by <span class="smcap">Reuben
+Shapcott</span>. Crown 8vo., cloth.</p>
+
+<table width="80%" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<col style="width:50%;" />
+<col style="width:50%;" />
+<tbody valign="top">
+<tr><td><b>The Autobiography of Mark Rutherford</b>. Fifth Edition.</td><td><b>The Revolution in Tanner's Lane</b></td>
+</tr>
+<tr><td><b>Mark Rutherford's Deliverance.</b> New Edition.</td><td><b>Catharine Furze:</b> A Novel. By <span class="smcap">Mark Rutherford</span>. Fourth Edition.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td><b>Miriam's Schooling,</b> and other Papers. By <span class="smcap">Mark Rutherford</span>.
+<span style="margin-left: 1em">With Frontispiece by <span class="smcap">Walter Crane</span>. Second Edition.</span>
+</td><td><b>Clara Hopgood.</b> By <span class="smcap">Mark Rutherford</span>.</td></tr>
+</tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p class="pub">"These writings are certainly not to be lightly dismissed, bearing as they do the
+impress of a mind which, although limited in range and sympathies, is decidedly
+original."&mdash;<i>Times.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The Statement of Stella Maberly.</b> By <span class="smcap">F. Anstey</span>, Author of
+"Vice Vers&acirc;." Crown 8vo, cloth.<br />
+"It is certainly a strange and striking story."&mdash;<i>Athen&aelig;um.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Ginette's Happiness.</b> Being a translation by <span class="smcap">Ralph Derechef</span> of
+"Le Bonheur de Ginette." Crown 8vo, cloth.<br />
+
+"Pretty and gracefully told."&mdash;<i>Pall Mall Gazette.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Silent Gods and Sun-Steeped Lands.</b> By <span class="smcap">R. W. Frazer</span>
+Second Edition. With 4 full-page Illustrations by <span class="smcap">A. D. McCormick</span> and a Photogravure
+Frontispiece. Small crown 8vo., cloth.<br />
+
+"Mr. Frazer writes powerfully and well, and seems to have an intimate acquaintance
+with the sun-steeped land, and the strange beings who people it."&mdash;<i>Glasgow Herald.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Paul Heinsius.</b> By <span class="smcap">Cora Lyster</span>. Crown 8vo., cloth..<br />
+"This is an extremely clever and altogether admirable, but not altogether unkind
+anatomisation of Teutonic character."&mdash;<i>Daily Chronicle.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>My Bagdad.</b> By <span class="smcap">Elliott Dickson</span>. Illustrated. 8vo., cloth..<br />
+"Related with a refreshing simplicity that is certain to approve itself to readers."&mdash;<i>Bookseller.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Silk of the Kine.</b> By <span class="smcap">L. McManus</span> (C. MacGuire), Author of
+"Amabel: A Military Romance." Crown 8vo., cloth..<br />
+"We have read 'The Silk of the Kine,' from the first page to the last, without
+missing a single word, and we sighed regretfully when Mr. McManus brought the
+adventures of Margery Ny Guire and Piers Ottley to a close."&mdash;<i>Literary World.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>A Pot of Honey.</b> By <span class="smcap">Susan Christian</span>. Crown 8vo., cloth.<br />
+"The book is the outcome of a clever mind."&mdash;<i>Athen&aelig;um.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>Liza of Lambeth.</b> By <span class="smcap">W. Somerset Maugham</span>. Crown 8vo., cloth.<br />
+"An interesting story of life and character in the Surrey-side slums, presented with
+a great deal of sympathetic humour."&mdash;<i>Daily Chronicle.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub"><b>The Twilight Reef</b>, and other Stories. By <span class="smcap">Herbert C. McIlwain</span>.
+Crown 8vo., cloth.</p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>THE HALF-CROWN SERIES</h2>
+
+<p class="centerpub"> + + + </p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Each Demy 12mo., cloth.</i></p>
+
+<table width="75%" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<col style="width:50%;" />
+<col style="width:50%;" />
+<tbody valign="top">
+<tr><td>1. <b>A Gender in Satan.</b> By <span class="smcap">Rita</span>.</td><td>5. <b>Dreams.</b> By <span class="smcap">Olive Schreiner.</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td>2. <b>The Making of Mary.</b> By <span class="smcap">Jean M. McIlwraith</span>.</td><td>6. <b>The Honour of the Flag.</b> By <span class="smcap">Clark Russell</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>3. <b>Diana's Hunting.</b> By <span class="smcap">Robert Buchanan</span>.</td><td>7. <b>Le Selve.</b> By <span class="smcap">Ouida</span>. 2nd Edition.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>4. <b>Sir Quixote of the Moors.</b> By <span class="smcap">John Buchan</span>.</td><td>8. <b>An Altruist.</b> By <span class="smcap">Ouida</span>. 2nd Edition.</td></tr>
+</tbody>
+</table>
+
+<hr class="mini" />
+
+<h2>THE CAMEO SERIES</h2>
+
+<p class="centerpub"> + + + </p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Demy 12mo., half-bound, paper boards, price</i> <b>3s. 6d.</b></p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Vols. 14-17</i>, <b>3s. 6d.</b> <i>net</i>.</p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Also, an Edition de Luxe, limited to 30 copies, printed on Japan paper.</i></p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Prices on application.</i></p>
+
+<table width="80%" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<col style="width:50%;" />
+<col style="width:50%;" />
+<tbody valign="top">
+<tr><td>1. <b>The Lady from the Sea.</b> By
+<span class="smcap">Henrik Ibsen</span>. Translated by <span class="smcap">Eleanor
+Marx Aveling</span>. Second Edition.
+Portrait.</td>
+<td>11. <b>The Love Songs of Robert Burns.</b>
+Selected and Edited, with Introduction,
+by Sir <span class="smcap">George Douglas</span>, Bart.
+With Front. Portrait.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>4. <b>Iphigenia in Delphi</b>, with some
+Translations from the Greek. By
+<span class="smcap">Richard Garnett</span>, LL.D. Frontispiece.</td>
+
+<td>12. <b>Love Songs of Ireland.</b> Collected
+and Edited by <span class="smcap">Katherine Tynan</span>.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>5. <b>Mireio</b>: A Proven&ccedil;al Poem.
+By <span class="smcap">Frederic Mistral</span>. Translated
+by <span class="smcap">H. W. Preston</span>. Frontispiece by
+<span class="smcap">Joseph Pennell</span>.</td>
+<td>13. <b>Retrospect</b>, and other Poems.
+By <span class="smcap">A. Mary F. Robinson</span> (Mme.
+<span class="smcap">Darmesteter</span>), Author of "An Italian
+Garden," &amp;c.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>6. <b>Lyrics.</b> Selected from the
+Works of A. <span class="smcap">Mary F. Robinson</span>
+(Mme. <span class="smcap">James Darmesteter</span>). Frontispiece.</td>
+<td>14. <b>Brand</b>: A Dramatic Poem.
+By <span class="smcap">Henrik Ibsen</span>. Translated by <span class="smcap">F.
+Edmund Garrett</span>.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>7. <b>A Minor Poet.</b> By <span class="smcap">Amy Levy</span>.
+With Portrait. Second Edition.</td>
+<td>15. <b>The Son of Don Juan.</b> By
+<span class="smcap">Don Jos&eacute; Echegaray</span>. Translated
+into English, with biographical introduction,
+by <span class="smcap">James Graham</span>. With
+Etched Portrait of the Author by <span class="smcap">Don
+B. Maura</span>.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>8. <b>Concerning Cats</b>: A Book of
+Verses by many Authors. Edited by
+<span class="smcap">Graham R. Thompson</span>. Illustrated.</td>
+<td>16. <b>Mariana.</b> By <span class="smcap">Don Jos&eacute;
+Echegaray</span>. Translated into English
+by <span class="smcap">James Graham</span>. With a Photogravure
+of a recent Portrait of the
+Author.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>9. <b>A Chaplet from the Greek Anthology.</b>
+By <span class="smcap">Richard Garnett</span>, LL.D.</td>
+<td>17. <b>Flamma Vestalis</b>, and other
+Poems. By <span class="smcap">Eugene Mason</span>. Frontispiece
+after Sir <span class="smcap">Edward Burne-Jones</span>.</td></tr>
+</tbody>
+</table>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>THE MERMAID SERIES</h2>
+
+<p class="rightpub"><b>The Best Plays of the Old Dramatists.
+Literal Reproductions of the Old Testament.</b></p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 29px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-085" id="illus-085"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p250.png" alt="" title="" width="29" height="21" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Post 8vo., each Volume containing about 500 pages, and an etched
+Frontispiece, cloth</i>, <b>3s. 6d.</b> <i>each</i>.</p>
+
+<table width="80%" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<col style="width:50%;" />
+<col style="width:50%;" />
+<tbody valign="top">
+<tr><td>
+1. <b>The Best Plays of Christopher
+Marlowe.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">Havelock
+Ellis</span>, and containing a General
+Introduction to the Series by <span class="smcap">John
+Addington Symonds</span>.</td><td>
+12. <b>The Best Plays of Webster
+Tourneur.</b> Introduction by <span class="smcap">J.
+Addington Symonds</span>.
+</td></tr>
+<tr><td>
+2. <b>The Best Plays of Thomas Otway.</b>
+Introduction by the Hon.
+<span class="smcap">Roden Noel</span>.</td><td>
+13 and 14. <b>The Best Plays of
+Thomas Hiddleton.</b> Introduction
+by <span class="smcap">Algernon Charles Swinburn</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>
+3. <b>The Best Plays of John Ford.</b>&mdash;Edited
+by <span class="smcap">Havelock Ellis</span>.</td><td>
+15. <b>The Best Plays of James Stanley.</b>
+Introduction by <span class="smcap">Edward
+Gosse</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>
+4 and 5. <b>The Best Plays of Thomas
+Massinger.</b> Essay and Notes by
+<span class="smcap">Arthur Symons</span>.</td><td>
+16. <b>The Best Plays of Thomas
+Dekker.</b> Notes by <span class="smcap">Ernest Rhys</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>
+6. <b>The Best Plays of Thomas Heywood.</b>
+Edited by <span class="smcap">A. W. Verity</span>.
+Introduction by <span class="smcap">J. A. Symonds</span>.</td><td>
+17, 19, and 20. <b>The Best Plays of
+Ben Jonson,</b> Vol. I. edited, with
+Introduction and Notes, by <span class="smcap">Brinsley
+Nicholson</span> and <span class="smcap">C. H. Hereford</span>.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>
+7. <b>The Complete Plays of William
+Wycherley.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">W. C.
+Ward</span>.</td><td>
+18. <b>The Complete Plays of Richard
+Steele.</b> Edited, with Introduction
+and Notes, by <span class="smcap">G. A. Aitkeen</span>.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>
+8. <b>Nero</b>, and other Plays. Edited
+by <span class="smcap">H. P. Horne, Arthur Symons,
+A. W. Verity</span>, and <span class="smcap">H. Ellis</span>.</td><td>
+21. <b>The Best Plays of George Chapman.</b>
+Edited by <span class="smcap">William Lyon
+Phelps</span>, Instructor of English Literature
+at Yale College.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>
+9 and 10. <b>The Best Plays of Beaumont
+and Fletcher.</b> Introduction
+by <span class="smcap">J. St. Loe Strachey</span>.</td><td>
+22. <b>The Select Plays of Sir John
+Vanbrugh.</b> Edited, with an introduction
+and Notes, by <span class="smcap">A. E. H.
+Swaen</span>.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>
+11. <b>The Complete Plays of William
+Congreve.</b> Edited by <span class="smcap">Alex. C.
+Ewald</span>.</td><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+</tbody>
+</table>
+
+<hr class="mini" />
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>PRESS OPINIONS.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Even the professed scholar with a good library at his command will find
+texts here not otherwise easily accessible; while the humbler student of slender
+resources, who knows the bitterness of not being able to possess himself of the treasure
+stored in expensive folios or quartos long out of print, will assuredly rise up and thank
+Mr. Unwin."&mdash;<i>St. James's Gazette.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Resumed under good auspices."&mdash;<i>Saturday Review.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"The issue is as good as it could be."&mdash;<i>British Weekly.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"At once scholarly and interesting."&mdash;<i>Leeds Mercury.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>LITTLE NOVELS</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 68px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-086" id="illus-086"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p251.png" alt="" title="" width="68" height="27" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Demy 8vo., printed in bold type, paper covers,</i> <b>6d.</b>; <i>cloth</i>, <b>1s.</b></p>
+
+<p class="pub">
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">1. <b>The World is Round.</b> By <span class="smcap">Louise Mack</span>.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">2. <b>No Place for Repentance.</b> By <span class="smcap">Ellen F. Pinsent</span>.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">3. <b>The Problem of Prejudice.</b> By Mrs. <span class="smcap">Vere Campbell</span>.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">4. <b>Margaret Grey.</b> By <span class="smcap">H. Barton Baker</span>.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">5. <b>A Painter's Honeymoon.</b> By <span class="smcap">Mildred Shenstone</span>.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">6. <b>The Bond of Blood.</b> By <span class="smcap">R. E. Forrest</span>.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">7. <b>A Slight Indiscretion.</b> By Mrs. <span class="smcap">Edward Cartwright</span>.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">8. <b>A Comedy of Three.</b> By <span class="smcap">Newton Sanders</span>.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">9. <b>Passports.</b> By <span class="smcap">I. J. Armstrong</span>.</span><br />
+10. <b>A Noble Haul.</b> By <span class="smcap">W. Clark Russell</span>.<br />
+11. <b>On the Gogmagogs.</b> By <span class="smcap">Alice Dumillo</span>.<br />
+</p>
+
+<hr class="mini" />
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>PRESS NOTICES.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Novel sets are many, but Mr. Fisher Unwin has begun a new one that for prettiness,
+type and cheapness will take front rank.... These little novels, which are very
+prettily bound for a shilling, and in paper at sixpence each, will&mdash;if we mistake not&mdash;equal
+the 'Pseudonyms' in popularity."&mdash;<i>Vanity Fair.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Mr. Unwin's newest series of 'Little Novels,' printed in strong black type on
+pleasant paper.... promises to be as good, if not better than any of the preceding
+ones.... The first book in the series is an extremely clever and original story of
+Australian society."&mdash;<i>Guardian.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Are readable.... They promise well for the success of the series they begin."
+<i>Scotsman.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"The 'Little Novels' series starts well with this Australian story ('The World is
+Round').... Miss Mack's account of Sydney life is vivacious.... The two
+women she describes are brought before us with ability. Much of the dialogue, and
+certainly a letter from the Bush, deserves praise."&mdash;<i>Glasgow Herald.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"If Mr. Fisher Unwin's 'Little Novels' series produces many works of the quintessential
+power of 'No Place for Repentance,' it will outweigh in all but bulk whole shelves of
+Mudie's fiction."&mdash;<i>Illustrated London News.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"We do not apologise for telling the story of this little book, 'The Bond of Blood,'
+and giving long extracts from it. It is worth reading even when one knows all that is
+coming; for it is excellently told, with concentrated force, great simplicity, and a very
+remarkable attention to illustrative detail."&mdash;<i>Spectator.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"A cheap and excellent series."&mdash;<i>St. James's Budget.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Well bound, well printed, and exceptionally low in price."&mdash;<i>Glasgow Herald.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2>The CHILDREN'S LIBRARY</h2>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 56px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-087" id="illus-087"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p252.png" alt="" title="" width="56" height="15" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Illustrated. Post 8vo., pinafore cloth binding, floral edges</i>,
+<b>2s 6d.</b> <i>each</i>.</p>
+
+<table width="80%" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<col style="width:50%;" />
+<col style="width:50%;" />
+<tbody valign="top">
+<tr><td>
+1. <b>The Brown Owl.</b> By <span class="smcap">Ford H.
+Hueffer</span>. Illustrated by <span class="smcap">Madox
+Brown</span>.</td><td>
+12. <b>Nutcracker and Mouse King</b>
+and other Stories. By <span class="smcap">E. T. A.
+Hoffmann</span>. Translated from the
+German by <span class="smcap">Ascott R. Hope</span>.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>2. <b>The China Cup.</b> By <span class="smcap">Felix
+Volkhovsky</span>. Illustrated by
+<span class="smcap">Malischeff</span>.</td><td>
+13. <b>Once upon a Time</b>: Fairy
+Tales. Translated from the Italian
+by <span class="smcap">Luigi Capuana</span>. With Illustrations
+by <span class="smcap">C. Mazzanti</span>.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>3. <b>Stories from Fairyland.</b> By
+<span class="smcap">Georges Drosines</span>. Illustrated by
+<span class="smcap">Thos. Riley</span>.</td><td>
+14. <b>The Pentamerone</b>; or, The
+Story of Stories. By <span class="smcap">Giambattista
+Basile</span>. Translated from the Neapolitan
+by <span class="smcap">John Edward Taylor</span>.
+</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>4. <b>The Story of a Puppet.</b> By
+<span class="smcap">C. Cullodi</span>. Translated from the
+Italian by <span class="smcap">M. A. Murray</span>. Illustrated
+by <span class="smcap">G. Mazzanti</span>.</td><td>
+New Edition, revised and edited by
+<span class="smcap">Helen Zimmern</span>. Illustrated by
+<span class="smcap">George Cruikshank</span>.
+</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>5. <b>The Little Princess.</b> By <span class="smcap">Lina
+Eckenstein</span>. Illustrated by <span class="smcap">Dudley
+Heath</span>.</td><td>
+15. <b>Finnish Legends.</b> Adapted by
+<span class="smcap">R. Eivind</span>. Illustrated from the
+Finnish Text.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>6. <b>Tales from the Mabinogier.</b>
+By <span class="smcap">Meta Williams</span>.</td><td>
+16. <b>The Pope's Mule</b>, and other
+Stories. By <span class="smcap">Alphonse Daudet</span>.
+Translated by <span class="smcap">A. D. Beavington-Atkinson</span>
+and <span class="smcap">D. Havers</span>. Illustrated
+by <span class="smcap">Ethel K. Martyn</span>.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>7. <b>Irish Fairy Tales.</b> Edited by
+<span class="smcap">W. B. Yeats</span>. Illustrated by <span class="smcap">Jack B.
+Yeats</span>.</td><td>
+&nbsp;</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>8. <b>An Enchanted Garden.</b> By
+Mrs. <span class="smcap">Molesworth</span>. Illustrated by
+<span class="smcap">J. W. Henessey</span>.</td><td>
+17. <b>The Little Glass Man</b>, and
+other Stories. Translated from the
+German of <span class="smcap">Wilhelm Hauffman</span>.
+Illustrated by <span class="smcap">James Pryde</span>.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>9. <b>La Belle Nivernaise.</b> By
+<span class="smcap">Alphonse Daudet</span>. Illustrated by
+<span class="smcap">Montegut</span>.</td><td>
+18. <b>Robinson Crusoe.</b> By <span class="smcap">Daniel
+Defoe</span>.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>10. <b>The Feather.</b> By <span class="smcap">Ford H.
+Hueffer</span>. Frontispiece by <span class="smcap">Madox
+Brown</span>.</td><td>
+19. <b>The Magic Oak Tree</b>, and
+other Fairy Stories. By <span class="smcap">Knatchbull
+Hugessen</span> (Lord <span class="smcap">Brabourne</span>)
+Author of "Prince Mangold,"
+"Queer Folk," &amp;c.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>11. <b>Finn and His Companions.</b> By
+<span class="smcap">Standish O'Grady</span>, Author of
+"Red Hugh's Captivity," &amp;c., Illustrated
+by <span class="smcap">J. B. Yeats</span>.</td><td>
+20. <b>Pax and Carlino.</b> By <span class="smcap">Ernest
+Beckman</span>.</td></tr>
+</tbody>
+</table>
+
+<hr class="mini" />
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>SOME PRESS NOTICES.</i></p>
+<p class="pub">
+"Happy children who are to own books as pretty and portable as this is." <i>Saturday Review.</i><br />
+
+"The delightful 'Children's Library.'"&mdash;<i>National Observer.</i><br />
+
+"The binding and printing are simply exquisite."&mdash;<i>Vanity Fair.</i><br />
+
+"What a dainty little blue book!"&mdash;<i>Whitehall Review.</i><br />
+
+"Prettily got up."&mdash;<i>Times.</i><br />
+
+"Fascinating in appearance."&mdash;<i>Athen&aelig;um.</i><br />
+
+"Very daintily printed and bound."&mdash;<i>Daily Chronicle.</i><br />
+
+"One of the prettiest books ever trusted to a child's hand."&mdash;<i>Queen.</i><br />
+
+"Altogether agreeable to the eye."&mdash;<i>Globe.</i><br />
+
+"Exquisite and dainty."&mdash;<i>British Weekly.</i><br />
+
+"Very dainty and unique."&mdash;<i>Review of Reviews.</i><br />
+
+"All the books are delightfully illustrated."&mdash;<i>Bookseller.</i><br />
+
+"With every advantage that a dainty binding excellent paper, and admirable printing
+can bestow."&mdash;<i>Guardian.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+<h2><span class="smcap">The</span> AUTONYM LIBRARY</h2>
+
+<p class="centerpub">(Uniform in style and price with the "Pseudonym Library.")</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 31px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em">
+<a name="illus-088" id="illus-088"></a>
+<img src="images/illus-p253.png" alt="" title="" width="31" height="24" /><br />
+</div>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Paper</i>, <b>1s. 6d.</b> <i>each</i>; <i>cloth</i>, <b>2s.</b> <i>each</i>.</p>
+
+<p class="pub">
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">1. <b>The Upper Berth.</b> By <span class="smcap">F. Marion Crawford</span>. Fourth Edition.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">2. <b>Mad Sir Uchtred of the Hills.</b> By <span class="smcap">S. R. Crockett</span>. Third Edition.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">3. <b>By Reef and Palm.</b> By <span class="smcap">Louis Becke</span>. Third Edition.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">4. <b>The Play-Actress.</b> By <span class="smcap">S. R. Crockett</span>. Fifth Edition.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">5. <b>A Bachelor Maid.</b> By Mrs. <span class="smcap">Burton Harrison</span>.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">6. <b>Miserrima.</b> By <span class="smcap">G. W. T. Omond</span>.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">7. <b>The Two Strangers.</b> By Mrs. <span class="smcap">Oliphant</span>.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">8. <b>Another Wicked Woman.</b> By <span class="smcap">G. S. Grant-Forbes</span>.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">9. <b>The Spectre of Strathannan.</b> By <span class="smcap">W. E. Norris</span>.</span><br />
+10. <b>Kafir Stories.</b> By <span class="smcap">W. C. Scully</span>.<br />
+11. <b>Molly Darling!</b> And other Stories. By Mrs. <span class="smcap">Hungerford</span>.<br />
+12. <b>A Game of Consequences.</b> By <span class="smcap">Albert Kinross</span>.<br />
+13. <b>Sleeping Fires.</b> By <span class="smcap">George Gissing</span>.<br />
+14. <b>The Red Star.</b> By <span class="smcap">L. McManus</span>.<br />
+15. <b>A Marriage by Capture.</b> By <span class="smcap">Robert Buchanan</span>.<br />
+16. <b>Leaves from the Life of an Eminent Fossil.</b> By <span class="smcap">W. Dutton Burrard</span>.<br />
+17. <b>An Impossible Person.</b> By <span class="smcap">Constance Cotterell</span>.<br />
+18. <b>Which is Absurd.</b> By <span class="smcap">Cosmo Hamilton</span>.<br />
+</p>
+<hr class="mini" />
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>PRESS NOTICES.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Very dainty and pleasing in appearance."&mdash;<i>Glasgow Herald.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"Well printed and nicely got up."&mdash;<i>Queen.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"The volumes promise to be as handy in shape and size as those of the
+original series; the printing is excellent, the paper is good, and the external
+appearance is neat and attractive."&mdash;<i>Athen&aelig;um.</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub">"If 'The Autonym Library' keeps up to the pitch of excellence attained by
+the first volume its success is assured."&mdash;<i>Speaker.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="minor" />
+
+<h2>THE STORY OF<br />THE NATIONS<br /></h2>
+
+<p class="centerpub">A SERIES OF POPULAR HISTORIES.</p>
+
+<p class="pub"><i>Each Volume is furnished with Maps, Illustrations, and Index. Large
+Crown 8vo., fancy cloth, gold lettered, or Library Edition, dark cloth, burnished
+red top,</i> <b>5s.</b> <i>each.&mdash;Or may be had in half Persian, cloth sides, gilt tops;</i></p>
+
+<p class="centerpub"><i>Price on Application.</i></p>
+
+<table width="80%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<col style="width:50%;" />
+<col style="width:50%;" />
+<tbody valign="top">
+<tr><td>
+<span style="margin-left: 0.5em">1. <b>Rome.</b> By <span class="smcap">Arthur Gilman</span>, M.A.</span></td><td>
+25. <b>Scotland,</b> By <span class="smcap">John Mackintosh</span>, LL.D.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td><span style="margin-left: 0.5em">2. <b>The Jews.</b> By Professor <span class="smcap">J. K. Hosmer</span>.</span></td><td>
+26. <b>Switzerland.</b> By <span class="smcap">R. Stead</span> and <span class="smcap">Lina Hug</span>.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td><span style="margin-left: 0.5em">3. <b>Germany.</b> By the Rev. <span class="smcap">S. Baring-Gould</span>.</span></td><td>
+27. <b>Mexico.</b> By <span class="smcap">Susan Hale</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td><span style="margin-left: 0.5em">4. <b>Carthage.</b> By Professor <span class="smcap">Alfred J. Church</span>.</span></td><td>
+28. <b>Portugal.</b> By <span class="smcap">H. Morse Stephens</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td><span style="margin-left: 0.5em">5. <b>Alexander's Empire.</b> By Prof. <span class="smcap">J. P. Mahaffy</span>.</span></td><td>
+29. <b>The Normans.</b> By <span class="smcap">Sarah Orne Jewett</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td><span style="margin-left: 0.5em">6. <b>The Moors In Spain.</b> By <span class="smcap">Stanley Lane-Poole</span>.</span></td><td>
+30. <b>The Byzantine Empire.</b> By <span class="smcap">C. W. C. Oman</span>, M.A.</td></tr>
+<tr><td><span style="margin-left: 0.5em">7. <b>Ancient Egypt.</b> By Prof. <span class="smcap">George Rawlinson</span>.</span></td><td>
+31. <b>Sicily: Phoenician, Greek and Roman.</b> By the late <span class="smcap">E. A. Freeman</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td><span style="margin-left: 0.5em">8. <b>Hungary.</b> By Prof. <span class="smcap">Arminius Vambery</span>.</span></td><td>
+32. <b>The Tuscan and Genoa Republics.</b> By <span class="smcap">Bella Duffy</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td><span style="margin-left: 0.5em">9. <b>The Saracens.</b> By <span class="smcap">Arthur Gilman</span>, M.A.</span></td><td>
+33. <b>Poland.</b> By <span class="smcap">W. R. Morfill</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>10. <b>Ireland.</b> By the Hon. <span class="smcap">Emily Lawless</span>.</td><td>
+34. <b>Parthia.</b> By Prof. <span class="smcap">George Rawlinson</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>11. <b>Chaldea.</b> By <span class="smcap">Zenaide A. Ragozin</span>.</td><td>
+35. <b>The Australian Commonwealth.</b> By <span class="smcap">Greville Tregarthen</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>12. <b>The Goths.</b> By <span class="smcap">Henry Bradley</span>.</td><td>
+36. <b>Spain.</b> By <span class="smcap">H. E. Watts</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>13. <b>Assyria.</b> By <span class="smcap">Zenaide A. Ragozin</span>.</td><td>
+37. <b>Japan.</b> By <span class="smcap">David Murray</span>, Ph.D.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>14. <b>Turkey.</b> By <span class="smcap">Stanley Lane-Poole</span>.</td><td>
+38. <b>South Africa.</b> By <span class="smcap">George M. Theal</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>15. <b>Holland.</b> By Professor <span class="smcap">J. E. Thorold Rogers</span>.</td><td>
+39. <b>Venice.</b> By the Hon. <span class="smcap">Alethea Wiel</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>16. <b>Medi&aelig;val France.</b> By <span class="smcap">Gustave Masson</span>.</td><td>
+40. <b>The Crusades</b>: The Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. By <span class="smcap">T. A. Archer</span> and <span class="smcap">Charles L. Kingsford</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>17. <b>Persia.</b> By <span class="smcap">S. G. W. Benjamin</span>.</td><td>
+41. <b>Vedic India.</b> By <span class="smcap">Zenaide A. Ragozin</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>18. <b>Phoenicia.</b> By Prof. <span class="smcap">George Rawlinson</span>.</td><td>
+42. <b>The West Indies and the Spanish Main.</b> By <span class="smcap">James Rodway</span>, F.L.S.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>19. <b>Media.</b> By <span class="smcap">Zenaide A. Ragozin</span>.</td><td>
+43. <b>Bohemia.</b> By <span class="smcap">C. E. Maurice</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>20. <b>The Hansa Towns.</b> By <span class="smcap">Helen Zimmern</span>.</td><td>
+44. <b>The Balkans.</b> By <span class="smcap">W. Miller</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>21. <b>Early Britain.</b> By Professor <span class="smcap">Alfred J. Church</span>.</td><td>
+45. <b>Canada.</b> By Dr. <span class="smcap">Bourinot</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>22. <b>The Barbary Corsairs.</b> By <span class="smcap">Stanley Lane-Poole</span>.</td><td>
+46. <b>British India.</b> By <span class="smcap">R. W. Frazer</span>, LL.B.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>23. <b>Russia.</b> By <span class="smcap">W. R. Morfill</span>.</td><td>
+47. <b>Modern France.</b> By <span class="smcap">Andr&eacute; le Bon</span>.</td></tr>
+<tr><td>24. <b>The Jews under the Roman Empire.</b> By <span class="smcap">W. D. Morrison</span>.</td><td>
+<b><ins class="transcriber"
+ title="Transcriber's note: '48.' missing from original text.">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</ins>The Franks.</b> By <span class="smcap">Lewis Sergeant</span>, B.A.</td></tr>
+</tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p class="pub">"Such a universal history as the series will present us with in its completion will be a
+possession such as no country but our own can boast of.... Its success on the whole
+has been very remarkable."&mdash;<i>Daily Chronicle.</i></p>
+
+<hr class="major" />
+
+<div class="tnote">
+<h3>Transcriber&#8217;s Notes:</h3>
+
+<p>Obvious spelling/typographical and punctuation
+errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other
+occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.</p>
+
+<p>Transcriber&#8217;s notes in text&mdash;mostly detailing corrections&mdash;are
+indicated by faint dotted underlining.
+Scroll the mouse over the word and the note will <ins class="transcriber"
+  title="Transcriber&#8217;s note: original reads &#8216;zephyr&#8217;">appear</ins>.</p>
+
+<p>The text is a compilation of previously published articles.</p>
+
+<p>Inconsistent spelling and inline hyphenation occurs across
+chapters and is retained:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot">
+<p>
+* &ldquo;meal-worm[s]&rdquo; occurs four times, &ldquo;mealworm[s]&rdquo; thirteen times<br />
+* &ldquo;re-appeared&rdquo; occurs once and &ldquo;reappeared&rdquo; occurs three times
+</p>
+</div>
+<p>Page 3: The signature date 1800 is clear error, 1898 is likely correct.</p>
+<p>Page 28, 29: &ldquo;I used still to to&rdquo;, extra &ldquo;to&rdquo; removed.</p>
+<p>Last Pub. Page: Last entry &ldquo;The Franks&rdquo; unnumbered, retained.</p>
+<p>This handwritten note appears on the first page of the transcriber's copy of the book.</p>
+<div class='center'>
+<p style="font-size: small;">
+<span style="margin-left: 4em"><i>Wm. Lambert.</i></span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 4em"><i>Prize for regular attendance.</i></span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 9em"><i>Moulton School,</i></span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 11em"><i>Xmas, 1900.</i></span>
+</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Wild Nature Won By Kindness, by Elizabeth Brightwen
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WILD NATURE WON BY KINDNESS ***
+
+***** This file should be named 21111-h.htm or 21111-h.zip *****
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+</body>
+</html>
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+Project Gutenberg's Wild Nature Won By Kindness, by Elizabeth Brightwen
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Wild Nature Won By Kindness
+
+Author: Elizabeth Brightwen
+
+Illustrator: Elizabeth Brightwen
+
+Release Date: April 16, 2007 [EBook #21111]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WILD NATURE WON BY KINDNESS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Joe Longo and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                 Wild Nature
+
+               Won by Kindness
+
+
+
+
+         _WILD NATURE WON BY KINDNESS._
+
+
+
+
+             _BY THE SAME AUTHOR._
+
+  MORE ABOUT WILD NATURE. With Portrait
+    of the Author and many other full-page Illustrations.
+    Crown 8vo, imitation leather gilt, gilt edges, in box, 5s.
+
+  INMATES OF MY HOUSE AND GARDEN.
+    With 32 Illustrations by Theo Carreras. Uniform with
+    above, 5s.
+
+                    ALSO
+  GLIMPSES INTO PLANT LIFE. Fully Illustrated.
+    Crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 3s. 6d.
+
+
+
+
+                 WILD NATURE
+               WON BY KINDNESS
+
+                     BY
+               MRS. BRIGHTWEN
+
+ _Vice-President of the Selborne Society_
+AUTHOR OF "INMATES OF MY HOUSE AND GARDEN," ETC.
+
+               _ILLUSTRATED_
+
+               EIGHTH EDITION
+
+                   London
+               T. FISHER UNWIN
+              PATERNOSTER SQUARE
+                    1898
+
+            _All rights reserved._
+
+
+
+
+To
+
+SIR JAMES PAGET, BART., F.R.S., D.C.L., ETC., ETC.
+
+MY DEAR SIR JAMES,--
+
+The little papers which are here reprinted would scarcely have been
+written but for the encouragement of your sympathy and the stimulus of
+what you have contributed to the loving study of nature. Shall you,
+then, think me presumptuous if I venture to dedicate to the friend what
+I could never dream of presenting to the professor, and if I ask you to
+pardon the poorness of the gift in consideration of the sincerity with
+which it is given.
+
+                           Pray believe me to be
+                                  Yours very sincerely,
+                                         ELIZA BRIGHTWEN
+
+ THE GROVE, GREAT STANMORE.
+           _June, 1800_.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+    TABLE OF CONTENTS.
+
+     INTRODUCTION.
+   1. REARING BIRDS FROM THE NEST
+   2. DICK THE STARLING
+   3. RICHARD THE SECOND
+   4. VERDANT
+   5. THE WILD DUCKS
+   6. THE JAY
+   7. A YOUNG CUCKOO
+   8. TAMING OF OUR PETS
+   9. BIRDIE
+  10. ZOeE THE NUTHATCH
+  11. TITMICE
+  12. BLANCHE THE PIGEON
+  13. GERBILLES
+  14. WATER SHREWS
+  15. SQUIRRELS
+  16. A MOLE
+  17. HARVEST MICE
+  18. A CALIFORNIAN MOUSE
+  19. SANCHO THE TOAD
+  20. ROMAN SNAILS
+  21. AN EARWIG MOTHER
+  22. THE SACRED BEETLE
+  23. SPIDERS
+  24. TAME BUTTERFLIES
+  25. ANT-LIONS
+  26. ROBINS I HAVE KNOWN
+  27. ROBERT THE SECOND
+  28. FEEDING BIRDS IN SUMMER AND WINTER
+  29. RAB, MINOR
+  30. A VISIT TO JAMRACH
+  31. HOW TO OBSERVE NATURE
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
+
+  FLYING WILD DUCK
+  SACRED BEETLE
+  SWALLOW
+  REARING BIRDS FROM THE NEST
+  STARLINGS
+  FLYING STARLINGS
+  STARLING IN SEARCH OF FOOD
+  WILD DUCK
+  TINY, SIR FRANCIS DRAKE AND LUTHER
+  JAY
+  ANOTHER JAY
+  A YOUNG CUCKOO
+  BUTTERFLY AND CATERPILLAR
+  YOUNG CUCKOO ATTACKED BY BIRDS
+  ARABESQUE
+  ZOeE, THE NUTHATCH
+  NUTHATCH IN A COCOANUT
+  TITMICE IN PURSUIT OF BEES
+  TITMICE
+  BLANCHE THE PIGEON
+  GERBILLES
+  WATER SHREW
+  SQUIRREL
+  MOLE
+  MICE
+  ROMAN SNAILS
+  EARWIG
+  EGYPTIAN BEETLES
+  FLYING BEETLE
+  TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS
+  BUTTERFLY
+  ANT-LION
+  THE ROBIN
+  YOUNG BIRDS
+  CHILD AND PET BIRD
+  RAB MINOR
+  RAB MINOR RUNNING
+  NESTLINGS
+  NEST OF WASPS
+  SNAKE IN CIRCLE
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION.
+
+
+Two short chapters, one describing the life of an Ant-lion, and the
+other the habits of a tame Toad, were added to the second edition, which
+was in other respects a reproduction of the first.
+
+The present edition has been improved by the adoption of a number of
+illustrations which were designed for the German translation of this
+book.
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION.
+
+
+I have often wished I could convey to others a little of the happiness I
+have enjoyed all through my life in the study of Natural History. During
+twenty years of variable health, the companionship of the animal world
+has been my constant solace and delight. To keep my own memory fresh, in
+the first instance, and afterwards with a distinct intention of
+repeating my single experiences to others, I have kept notes of whatever
+has seemed to me worthy of record in the life of my pets. Some of these
+papers have already appeared in _The Animal World_; the majority are
+now printed for the first time.
+
+In the following chapters I shall try to have quiet talks with my
+readers and tell them in a simple way about the many pleasant
+friendships I have had with animals, birds, and insects. I use the word
+friendships advisedly, because truly to know and enjoy the society of a
+pet creature you must make it feel that you are, or wish to be, its
+friend, one to whom it can always look for food, shelter, and solace; it
+must be at ease and at home with you before its instincts and curious
+ways will be shown. Sometimes when friends have wished me to see their
+so-called "pet," some scared animal or poor fluttering bird has been
+brought, for whom my deepest sympathy has been excited; and yet there
+may have been perhaps the kindest desire to make the creature happy,
+food provided in abundance, and a pleasant home; but these alone will
+not avail. For lack of the quiet gentle treatment which is so requisite,
+the poor little captive will possibly be miserable, pining for liberty,
+hating its prison, dreading the visits of its jailor, and so harassed in
+its terror that in some cases the poor little heart is broken, and in a
+few hours death is the result. In the following simple sketches of
+animal, bird, and insect life, I have tried to show how confidence must
+be gained, and the little wild heart won by quiet and unvarying
+kindness, and also by the endeavour to imitate as much as possible the
+natural surroundings of its own life before its capture. I must confess
+it requires a large fund of patience to tame any wild creature, and it
+is rarely possible to succeed unless one's efforts begin in its very
+early days, before it has known the sweets of liberty.
+
+In many cases I have kept a wild animal or bird for a few days to learn
+something of its ways, possibly to make a drawing of its attitudes or
+plumage, and then let it go, else nearly all my pets, except imported
+creatures, have been reared from infancy, an invalid's life and
+wakefulness making early-morning feeding of young fledglings less
+difficult than it would have been in many cases, and often have painful
+hours been made bearable and pleasant by the interest arising from
+careful observation of the habits and ways of some new pet animal or
+bird.
+
+I have always strongly maintained that the love of animated nature
+should be fostered far more than it usually is, and especially in the
+minds of the young; and that, in fact, we lose an immense amount of
+enjoyment by passing through life as so many do without a spark of
+interest in the marvellous world of nature, that book whose pages are
+ever lying open before us.
+
+The beauties of the country might as well have been left uncreated for
+all the interest that thousands take in them. Not only town dwellers,
+who might be excused for their ignorance, but those who live in the
+midst of fields and woods, often know so little about the curious
+creatures in fur and feathers that exist around them that they are
+surprised when told the simplest facts about these, their near
+neighbours.
+
+One reason may be, that it is now so much the fashion to spend the year
+in various places, and those always moving about have neither the time
+nor opportunity to cultivate the little undergrowths of quiet pleasures
+which spring out of a settled home in the country, with its well-tended
+garden and farmyard, greenhouses, stable, and fields--the horses and
+cattle, petted and kindly cared for from their birth, dogs and poultry,
+and all kinds of special favourites.
+
+There is a healthy, happy tone about such a life, and where it exists
+and is rightly maintained, good influence is, or ought to be, felt in
+and around the home. Almost all children have a natural love of living
+creatures, and if they are told interesting facts about them they soon
+become ardent naturalists. I well remember that in my childhood I had a
+great dread of toads and frogs, and a relative, to whom I owe much for
+having directed my mind into the love of animated nature, took up a frog
+in her hand and made me look at the beautiful gold circle round its
+eyes, its curious webbed feet, its leaping power arising from the long
+hind legs; she told me also of its wonderful tongue, so long and
+flexible that it folded back in its mouth, and that the frog would sit
+at the edge of an ant-hill and throwing out the tongue with its sticky
+point, would pick off the ants one by one as they came out. When I
+learnt all this, I began to watch such a curious reptile; my fears
+vanished, and like Kingsley's little daughter, who had been wisely led
+to care for all living things and came running to show her father a
+"dear delightful worm" she had found! so I, too, have been led all
+through my life to regard every created thing, great or small,
+attractive or otherwise, as an object well worth the most reverent
+study.
+
+Perhaps I ought to explain that I have described methods of taming,
+feeding, and housing one's pets with extreme minuteness in order to help
+those of my readers who may be very fond of live creatures, and yet from
+lack of opportunity may have gained no knowledge of their mode of life,
+and what is required to keep them happily in health and vigour. I have
+had to learn by experience that attention to very small details is the
+road to success in keeping pets as well as in other things, and the
+desire to pass on that experience must be my excuse to more scientific
+readers for seeming triviality.
+
+Many admirable books have been written by those well qualified to impart
+their knowledge in every branch of Natural History, and the more such
+books are read the better, but the following pages simply contain the
+life histories of my pets and what I personally have observed about
+them. I shall be glad indeed if they supply any useful information, or
+lead others to the more careful study of the common every-day things
+around them with a view to more kindness being shown to all living
+creatures, and tender consideration for them. I trust I may feel that
+this little book will then have attained its purpose. May it especially
+tend to lead the young to see how this beautiful world is full of
+wonders of every kind, full of evidences of the Great Creator's wisdom
+and skill in adapting each created thing to its special purpose, and
+from the whole realm of nature may they be taught lessons in parables,
+and their hearts be led upward to God Himself, who made all things to
+reflect His own perfection and glory.
+
+    "Gem, flower, and fish, the bird, the brute,
+       Of every kind occult or known
+    (Each exquisitely form'd to suit
+       Its humble lot, and that alone),
+    Through ocean, earth, and air fulfil
+    Unconsciously their Maker's will."
+
+                                  ELIZA BRIGHTWEN.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+REARING BIRDS FROM THE NEST.
+
+
+The most delightful of all pets are the birds one has taken the pains to
+rear from the nest; they never miss the freedom of outdoor life, they
+hardly know what fear is, they become devotedly attached to the one who
+feeds and educates them, and all their winsome ways seem developed by
+the love and care which is given to them.
+
+I strongly deprecate a whole nest being taken; one would not willingly
+give the happy little parent birds the distress of finding an empty
+home. After all their trouble in building, laying, sitting, and
+hatching, surely they deserve the reward of bringing up their little
+babes.
+
+Too often when boys thus take a nest they simply let the young birds
+starve to death from ignorance as to their proper food and not rising
+early enough to feed them.
+
+It is a different matter if, out of a family of six, one takes two to
+bring up by hand--the labour of the old birds is lightened, and four
+fledglings will sufficiently reward their toil.
+
+The birds should be taken before they are really feathered, just when
+the young quills begin to show, as at that stage they will not notice
+the change in their diet and manner of feeding. They need to be
+carefully protected from cold, kept at first in a covered basket in
+flannel, and if the weather is cold they should be near a fire, as they
+miss the warmth of the mother bird, especially at night.
+
+I confess it involves a good deal of trouble to undertake the care of
+these helpless little creatures. They should be fed every half-hour,
+from four in the morning until late in the evening, and that for many
+weeks until they are able to feed themselves.
+
+The kind of food varies according to the bird we desire to bring up, and
+it requires care to make sure that it is not too dry or too moist, and
+that it has not become sour, or it will soon prove fatal, for young
+birds have not the sense of older ones--they take blindly whatever is
+given them.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: STARLINGS.]
+
+DICK THE STARLING.
+
+
+Few people would think a cat could possibly be a tender nurse to young
+birds! but such was really the case with a very interesting bird I
+possessed some years ago.
+
+A young starling was brought up from the nest by the kind care of our
+cook and the cat! Both were equally sympathetic, and pitied the little
+unfledged creature, who was by some accident left motherless in his
+early youth. Cook used to get up at some unheard-of hour in the morning
+to feed her clamorous pet, and then would bring him down with her at
+breakfast-time and consign him to pussy's care; she, receiving him with
+a gentle purr of delight, would let him nestle into her soft fur for
+warmth.
+
+As Dick became feathered, he was allowed the run of the house and
+garden, and used to spend an hour or so on the lawn, digging his beak
+into the turf, seeking for worms and grubs, and when tired he would fly
+in at the open window and career about until he could perch on my
+shoulder, or go in search of his two foster-mothers in the kitchen.
+
+His education was carried on with such success that he could soon speak
+a few words very clearly. Strangers used to be rather startled by a
+weird-looking bird flying in from the garden, and saying, "Beauty dear,
+puss, puss, miaow!" But it was still more strange to see Dick sitting on
+the cat's back and addressing his endearments to her in the above words.
+Pussy would allow him to investigate her fur with exemplary patience,
+only objecting to his inquisitive beak being applied to her eyelids to
+prize them open when she was enjoying her afternoon nap. Dick's love of
+water led him to bathe in most inconvenient places. One morning, when I
+returned to the dining-room after a few minutes' absence, I found him
+taking headers into a glass filter and scattering the contents on the
+sideboard. After dinner, too, he would dive into the finger-glasses with
+the same intention, and when hindered in that design would visit the
+dessert dishes in succession, stopping with an emphatic "Beauty dear!"
+at the sight of some coveted dainty, to which he would forthwith help
+himself liberally.
+
+In summer Dick had to resist considerable temptation from wild birds of
+his own kind, who evidently made matrimonial overtures to him, but
+though he "camped out" for a few nights now and then, he never seemed to
+find a mate to his mind, and elected to remain a bachelor and enjoy our
+society instead of that of his own kith and kin.
+
+Dick was certainly a pattern of industrious activity, never still for
+two minutes. He seemed haunted by the idea that caterpillars and grubs
+existed all over the house, and his search for them was carried on under
+all possible circumstances--every plait of one's dress, every
+button-hole, would be inquired into by his prying little beak in case
+some choice morsel might chance to be lurking there. Dick lived for a
+few happy years, and then his bathing propensities most unhappily led to
+his untimely death. One severely cold day in winter he was missed and
+searched for everywhere, and after some hours his poor little body was
+found stiff and cold in a water-tank in the stable-yard, where the ice
+had been broken. He had as usual plunged in for a bath, and we can only
+suppose the intense cold had caused an attack of cramp, so that he could
+not get out again, and thus was drowned. Many tears were shed for the
+loss of the cheery little bird, who seemed like a bright ubiquitous
+sunbeam about the house, and our only consolation was the thought that,
+as far as we knew, he had never had a sorrow in his life, and we can
+only hope that if there are "happy hunting-grounds" for birds our Dick
+may be there, bright and happy still.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: FLYING STARLINGS]
+
+RICHARD THE SECOND.
+
+
+On a wet stormy day in May a young unfledged bird was blown out of its
+nest and was picked up in a paved yard where, somehow, it had fallen
+unhurt.
+
+There he was found by my kind-hearted butler, who appeared with the
+little shivering thing in his hand to see if I would adopt it. The
+butler pleaded for it, and it squawked its own petition piteously
+enough, but I was far from strong, and I knew at what very early hours
+these young feathered people required to be fed. I therefore felt I
+ought hardly to give up the time which sometimes brought me the precious
+boon of sleep after a wakeful night. Very reluctantly I refused the
+gift, and felt wretchedly hard-hearted in doing so. I will confide to my
+readers that in my secret heart I thought the poor orphan was a
+blackbird or thrush, and they are birds I feel ought never to be caged;
+they pine and look so sadly longing for liberty; even their song has a
+minor key of plaintiveness when it comes through prison bars, and this
+feeling helped my decision.
+
+A few days after I heard that the birdie was adopted in the pantry, and
+was being fed "in the intervals of business." When a few days later I
+was definitely informed that the birdie waif was a starling, then I
+confess I did begin to long for another little friend such as my former
+"Dick" had been, and it ended in my receiving Richard the Second, as we
+called him for distinction, into my own care and keeping, and month
+after month I was his much-enduring mother. Most fledglings are much the
+same at first; whenever I came in sight the gaping beak was ever ready
+for food, and the capacity for receiving it was wonderful. Richard grew
+very fast; little quills appeared and opened out into feathers; his
+walking powers increased till he could make a tottering run upon the
+carpet; and then he began to object to his basket and would have a perch
+like a grown-up bird, practised going to sleep on one leg, which for a
+long time was a downright failure and ended in constant tumbles.
+
+He was always out of his cage whilst I was dressing, and was full of fun
+and play, scheming to get his bath before I did, and running off with
+anything he could carry. When he was about two months old I had to go to
+Buxton for a month's visit and decided that I could not leave Richard
+behind, as he needed constant feeding with little pieces of raw meat and
+was just old enough to miss my training and care. He was therefore to
+make his first start as a traveller, in a small cage, papered round the
+sides, the top being left open for light and air. He was wonderfully
+brave and good, very observant of everything, and if scared a word from
+me would reassure him, until at last even an express train dashing past
+did not make him start. It was very amusing to see the attention
+bestowed upon him at the various stations where we had to get out. A
+little crowd would gather round and stare at such a self-possessed small
+bird. I was asked "if it was a very rare bird?" It seemed almost absurd
+to have to reply, "No, only a common starling;" but people are so
+accustomed to see a caged pet flutter in terror at its unusual
+surroundings, that my kingly Richard rather puzzled his admirers.
+
+When we began life in our apartments, one important consideration in the
+day's proceedings was the starling's food. There was no home larder to
+fall back upon, so a daily portion of tender rump-steak had to be
+obtained, to the great amusement of the butcher with whom we dealt for
+our own joints.
+
+About this time the plain grey plumage began to be varied by two patches
+of brilliant little purple feathers, tipped with greyish-white, which
+appeared on each side of his breast. Some began to peep out of his back
+and head. He moulted his tail, and had rich, dark feathers all over, in
+time, till he arrived at being what he was often called, "a perfect
+beauty"--glossy and brilliant, bronze gold and purple, with reflets of
+rich green, and little specks of greyish-white all over his breast; this
+richness of colour, combined with his beautiful sleek shape, made
+Richard a very attractive bird.
+
+When we returned from Buxton, I was so confident of the bird's tameness
+I used to carry him in my hand out to the tulip tree, and there I often
+sat and read, while Richard would pry into the moss and the bark of the
+tree, searching for insects, and though he could fly well by this time,
+he did not try to do so, but seemed content to keep near me.
+
+One morning I heard his first articulate word, "Beauty," spoken so
+clearly it quite startled me. I had been diligently teaching him, by
+constant repetition, for many weeks, and by degrees he gained the power
+of speaking one word after another, till at last he was able to say,
+"Little beauty," "'Ow de doo?" "Pretty, pretty," "Beauty, dear," "Puss,
+puss," "Miaow," and imitated kissing exactly. All this was intermingled
+with his native whistle and sundry inarticulate sounds, intended, I
+suppose, to result in words and sentences some day. Whilst talking and
+singing, his head was held very upright, and his wings flapped
+incessantly against his sides, after the manner of the wild birds.
+
+Nothing stirred my indignation more keenly than the question so often
+asked, "Have you had your starling's tongue slit to make him talk so
+well?" I beg emphatically to entreat all my readers to do their utmost
+to put an end to this cruel and perfectly useless custom. My bird's
+talking powers were remarkable, but they were the result of his
+intelligence being drawn out and cultivated by constant, loving care,
+attention to his little wants, and being talked to and played with, and
+made into a little feathered friend of the family.
+
+Now must be told an episode which cost me no little heartache. Richard
+was out in my room one morning as usual, when the room door happening to
+be open, away he flew into the next room, and out at an open window into
+the garden. I saw him alight on a tree, but by the time I could reach
+the garden he had gone. I saw a group of starlings in a beech tree near
+by, and another set were chattering on the house roof, but there was no
+telling if my Richard was one of them. I called till I was tired, and
+continued to do so at intervals all day, but no wanderer appeared. His
+cage had been put on the lawn, but to no purpose. I feared I should
+never see my pet again, because I supposed he might be lured by the wild
+birds till he got out of hearing of any familiar voice. I confess it was
+hard to think of my bright young birdie starving under some hedge, for I
+felt sure he was too much of a gentleman from his artificial bringing-up
+to be able to earn his own living. All I could do was to resolve to be
+up very early next day, and call again and again, on the chance of his
+being within hearing. Before six o'clock next morning I was seeking the
+truant. Plenty of wild birds were about, the bright sun glancing on
+their sleek coats--all looking so like my pet it was impossible to
+distinguish him. I little knew that he was then starving and miserable
+under a bush in the upper part of the garden. I continued calling and
+seeking him until breakfast-time, and fast losing all hope of ever
+seeing him again. About eleven o'clock I was returning from the kitchen
+garden, with my hands full of fruit and flowers, when, to my intense
+delight, poor little Richard came slowly out from under a laurel, and
+stood in the path before me, as veritable a type of a birdish prodigal
+son as could well be imagined.
+
+His feathers were ruffled, his wings drooping, his whole aspect
+irresistibly reminded one of the Jackdaw of Rheims; and the way he
+sidled up to me, with half-closed eyes and drooping head, was one of the
+most pathetic things I ever experienced. He so plainly said, "I'm very
+sorry--hope you'll forgive me; won't do it again"; and certainly his
+mute appeal was not in vain, for down went my fruit and flowers, and
+with loving words I took up my lost darling, and cooed over him all
+sorts of affectionate rubbish until we reached home and he was restored
+to his cage. There his one desire was water. Poor fellow! he was nearly
+famished. I think another hour would have seen his end. There is no
+water in the garden, except in the stone vase in front of the
+dining-room window, and he would not have known how to find that, so he
+must have been twenty-eight hours without drinking anything beyond a
+possible drop of dew now and then. I had to feed him with great care--a
+little food, and very often, until he recovered a measure of strength.
+He was very drooping all day, and I quite feared he might not live after
+all, he was so nearly starved to death. After some days, however,
+"Richard was himself again," and as bright and amusing as ever. I have
+not related the amusing characteristics of his "daily tub." His love of
+water was a perfect passion, and water he would have. At first he was
+treated to a large glass dish on the matting in the dining-room, but he
+sent up such a perfect fountain of spray over curtains, couch, and
+chairs, that the housemaid voted "that bird" a nuisance, and a better
+plan was devised. In the conservatory is a pool of water, with rock-work
+and ferns at the back, and there is a central tube where a fountain can
+be turned on. I made a small island of green moss a little above the
+water, and, placing Richard upon it, I turned the fountain on to play a
+delicate shower of spray over him. He was perfectly enchanted, and
+fluttered, turned about, and frisked, like a bird possessed. As he
+became accustomed to it, I began to throw handfuls of water over him,
+and that he did enjoy. He would cower down, and lie with his wings
+expanded and beak open, receiving charge after charge of water till
+quite out of breath; then he would run a few paces away on his island
+till he recovered himself, and then would go back and place himself
+ready for a renewed douche. I never saw such a plucky bird. If I had
+been trying to drown him I could not have done more, for sometimes he
+was knocked backwards into the pool; but no matter, he was up again, and
+all ready in a minute. He generally tired me out, and when I turned off
+the fountain, he would either fly or run after me into the drawing-room
+and go into his cage, which always stood there; and there followed a
+very careful toilette--a general oiling and pluming and fluttering,
+until his bonnie little feathers were all in good order; and then would
+follow endless chatter, and he would inform the world that he was a
+"little beauty," "pretty little dear," &c.
+
+Starlings seem to have an abundant supply of natural oil in the gland
+where it is stored, for his feathers were never really much wetted by
+his tremendous baths, and he was a slippery fellow to hold, his plumage
+was so glossy and sleek.
+
+A word must be said about his temper; it was decidedly not meek by any
+means, and his will was strong, so the least thing would bring a shower
+of pecks in token of disapproval, and if scolded his attitude was most
+absurd; he would draw himself up to a wonderful height, set up his crest
+feathers, and stand ready to meet all comers, like a little fighting
+cock; and when a finger was pointed at him he would scold and peck, and
+flap with his wings with the utmost fury; and yet if a kind word was
+said all his wrath vanished, and he would come on your hand and prize
+your fingers apart, looking for grubs as usual. It seemed strange that
+his habit of thus searching for insects everywhere should continue,
+though he was never by any chance rewarded by finding one. A starling's
+range of ideas may be summed up in the word "Grubs." It was always
+immensely amusing to strangers to see Richard, when out in the room,
+searching with his inquisitive beak in the most hopeless places with a
+cheerful happy activity, as if he always felt sure that long-looked-for
+grub, for which he had searched all the years of his life, must be close
+by, round the corners somewhere, under the penwiper, behind that book,
+amongst these coloured silks; and if interfered with he would give a
+peck and a chirp, as much as to say, "Do let me alone, I'm busy; I've
+got my living to get, and grubs seem scarce." Richard was the only bird
+I have ever had who learnt the nature of windows, he never flew against
+them; he had one or two severe concussions, and being a very sensible
+bird he "concluded" he wouldn't do it again; he would fly backwards and
+forwards in the drawing-room in swift flight, but I never feared either
+the windows or the fire, as he avoided both.
+
+Several times Master Richard was found flying about in the drawing-room,
+and yet no one had let him out; we could only suppose that by some
+mischance the door must have been left open; yet we all felt morally
+certain it had been fastened properly, and there was much puzzlement
+about the matter.
+
+However, the mystery was soon solved by my watching Richard's
+proceedings. I heard a prolonged hammering and found he was at work upon
+the hasp of his cage door. He managed to raise it up higher and higher,
+till by a well-directed peck he sent it clear out of the loop of wire
+which held it in its place. Still the door was shut, and it required a
+good many more pecks to force it open, but he succeeded in time, and out
+he flew--delighted to find himself entirely master of the situation.
+Then I watched with much amusement his deliberate survey of the room.
+
+I was ill at the time, and he first flew to greet me and talk a little;
+he hopped upon my hand, and holding firmly on my forefinger he went
+through his usual morning toilette, first an application to his oil
+gland, then he touched up all his plumage, drew out his wing and tail
+feathers, fluttered himself into shape, and when quite in order he began
+to examine the contents of my breakfast tray; took a little sugar,
+looked to see if there were any grubs under the tray cloth, peered into
+the cream jug, decided that he didn't like the salt, gave me two or
+three hard pecks to express his profound affection, and then went off on
+a voyage of discovery, _autour de ma chambre_. He squeezed himself
+between every ornament on the mantlepiece, flew to the drawers, and
+found there some grapes which were very much to his taste; so he was
+busy for some time helping himself. He visited every piece of furniture,
+threw down all the little items that he could lift, and, as I was
+reading, I did not particularly notice what he was about, until he came
+on a small table near my bed, and then I heard a suspicious noise, and
+turned to find the indefatigable bird with his beak in my ink bottle,
+and the sheet already plentifully bespattered with black splashes and
+little streams of ink trickling over the table cover; such misplaced
+zeal was not to be borne, so Richard had to be caged. When he was seven
+months old, his beak began to turn from black to yellow. The colour
+began to show first at the base of the beak, and it went on gradually,
+until in a month's time it was nearly all yellow, though it was black at
+the tip for some time longer. As time went on, Richard's talking powers
+increased; he quite upset any grave conversation that might be going on;
+his voice dropped at times to a sort of stage whisper, as if he wished
+to convey some profound secrets. "Oh, you little beauty, pretty little
+dear, 'ow de doo?" used to mingle most absurdly with the conversation of
+his elders and betters. When he could not have his bath in the
+conservatory, I used still to give him his glass dish, which we used
+together, for he would never enjoy his ablutions without me, and I
+became considerably sprinkled in the process. His delight was to have a
+water fight, pecking at my fingers, scolding, as if in a great rage,
+using his claws, and all the while calling me "Dear little Dicky;
+beauty; pretty little dear," &c., for he had no harder words to scold
+with; certainly the effect was most comical. When he supposed he had
+gained the victory, he would settle down to a regular bathe, fluttering
+and taking headers until he was dripping wet and delightfully happy, and
+the next thing would be to perch on one's chair, and shake a regular
+shower of drops over one's books or work.
+
+Richard was not, as a rule, at all frightened by noises, or by being
+carried about in his cage in strange places, but early one morning, when
+he was out in my room, he flew away from the window with a piercing
+scream of terror, and hid himself quite in the dark, behind my pillow,
+shivering with fright, as if he felt his last hour had come. We found
+out, when this had occurred several times, that his _bete noire_ was a
+great heron, which used occasionally to leave the lake, and circle round
+the house, high up in the air. It could only have been by pure instinct
+that Richard was inspired with such terror whenever he saw the great
+winged bird, and it showed that artificial training, though it develops
+additional powers and habits, in no way interferes with natural
+instinct.
+
+The starling has a remarkably active brain; its quickness of movement,
+swift flight, and never-tiring activity, all show the working of its
+inner mind; but more than that, it seems to be capable of something akin
+to reasoning. Richard sometimes dropped a piece of meat on his sanded
+floor, and I have often seen him take it up and well rinse it in his
+water, till the sand was cleansed away, and then he would swallow it;
+and a dry piece of meat he would moisten in the same way. Now this
+involved a good deal of mental intuition, and I often wondered whether
+he found out that water would remove the sand by accident, or by a
+process of thought; in either case, it showed cleverness and
+adaptability. So also with the processes of opening the door of his
+cage. He had first to prize up the latch with his beak to a certain
+height, and then by sudden sharp pecks send it clear of the hasp; then
+descend to the floor, and by straight pecks send the door open. If he
+could not get the door to open thus, he understood at once that the
+latch was not clear of the hasp, so he went back to his perch and pecked
+at it until he saw it fall down, and then he knew all was right.
+
+When the second summer of Richard's life came round, some young
+starlings were obtained, as we much wished to rear a hen as a mate for
+Richard in the following year. These birds were placed in a cage in the
+same room with him, as we hoped he would prove their tutor, and save us
+the trouble of teaching them. But no; Richard evidently felt profoundly
+jealous of these intruders, and day after day remained perfectly dumb
+and out of temper. This went on for a week, and then fearing he might
+lose his talking powers, I was obliged to remove them and pay special
+attention to him, to soothe his ruffled feelings. He did not begin to
+talk until more than a week had passed by, evidently resolving to mark
+in this way his extreme displeasure at others being admitted to share
+our friendship--a curious instance of innate jealousy in a bird's mind.
+
+For more than five years Richard was a source of constant pleasure and
+amusement, and was so much a part of my home-life that when anything
+unusual happened, in the way of a garden-party or a change in daily
+events from any cause, one's first thought was to provide for his
+comfort being undisturbed. I confess I dreaded the thought of his
+growing old, and could not bear to look on to the time when I must learn
+to do without his sweet, cheering little voice and pleasant
+companionship. Alas! that time has come, and I must now tell how the
+little life was quenched.
+
+In a room to which he had access, there was a small aquarium half-full
+of water thickly covered with pond-weed. I had left Richard to have his
+usual bath whilst I went down to breakfast, and when I returned I could
+nowhere find my pet. His usual bath was unused; I called and searched,
+and at last in the adjoining room I saw the little motionless body
+floating in the aquarium. The temptation had been too strong; Richard
+thought to have a lovely bathe, had flown down into the water, no doubt
+his claws were hopelessly entangled in the weed and thus, as was the
+case with my former starling Dick, the intense love of bathing led to a
+fatal end.
+
+The sorrow one feels for the loss of a pet so interwoven with one's life
+is very real; many may smile at it and call it weakness, but true lovers
+of animals and birds will know what a blank is felt and how intensely I
+shall ever regret the untimely fate of my much-loved little Richard.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+VERDANT.
+
+
+One day in early summer I found on a gravel walk a poor little unfledged
+birdie, sitting calmly looking up into the air, as if he hoped that some
+help would come to him, some pitying hand and heart have compassion upon
+his desolate condition.
+
+I carried him indoors, and "mothered" the little helpless thing as well
+as I could, by feeding him with hard-boiled yolk of egg mixed with brown
+bread and water. Being a hard-billed bird, I supposed that would be
+suitable food, and certainly he throve upon it. The little blue quills
+began to tell of coming feathers, his vigorous chirpings betokened
+plenty of vocal power, and in due time he grew into a young greenfinch
+of the most irrepressible and enterprising character. His lovely hues of
+green and yellow led to the name of Verdant being bestowed upon him, and
+his early experiences made it a somewhat suitable name.
+
+Poor little man! he had no parents to instruct him, and he consequently
+got into all manner of scrapes. He only learnt the nature of windows and
+looking-glasses by bitter experience; flying against them with great
+force, he was often taken up for dead; but his solid little skull
+resisted all these concussions, and by pouring cold water upon his head
+and some down his throat, he always managed to recover. He once
+overbalanced into a bath, and was nearly drowned; he fell behind a
+wardrobe, and was nearly suffocated; later on he almost squeezed himself
+to death between the bars of his cage--in fact, he had endless escapes
+of various kinds. He was very amusing in his early youth. Whilst I was
+dressing he would delight in picking up my scissors, pins, buttonhook,
+and anything else he could lift, and would carry them to the edge of the
+dressing-table and throw them down, turning his sly little head to see
+where they had fallen. He delighted in mischief, and was ever on the
+watch to carry off or misplace things; and yet he was a winning little
+pet, fearless in his confidence, perching on one's head or shoulder, and
+hindering all dressing operations by calmly placing his little body in
+the way, regardless of consequences.
+
+He lived in his cage during the day, and next to him, on the same table,
+lived a bullfinch--a very handsome bird, but heavy and lethargic to a
+degree; he sang exquisitely, and for that gift I suppose Verdant admired
+him, for his delight was to be as near him as possible. Perched on the
+top of his cage, he gazed down at his friend, and in great measure
+imitated his singing. Bully, on the contrary, hated Verdant, and would
+have nothing to do with him. The two characters were a great source of
+amusement to us.
+
+Verdant was always let out at meal-times to fly about and enjoy his
+liberty, and I am sorry to say he was always on the look-out for any
+mischief that might be possible. Bully's water-jar was fastened outside
+by a small pin; this Verdant discovered was movable, and before long we
+were startled by the fall of the said water-jar, the greenfinch having
+pulled out the pin; he then began upon the seed-box, and that also fell,
+to his great delight; he was then talked to and scolded, and up went his
+pretty yellow wings with angry flappings, and his open beak scolded back
+again in the most hardened manner. He was greatly interested in watching
+the numerous birds frequenting a basket filled with fat which hung
+outside the window, and he would swing backwards and forwards on the
+tassel of the blind, chirping to the outsiders, and watching all their
+little squabbles. Sunflower seeds were his greatest dainty; he would
+perch upon the hand to receive one, or if it were held between the lips
+he would flutter and poise upon the wing to take it. A sort of swing
+with a chain and movable wheel was provided, upon which Verdant soon
+learned to perch and swing, whilst he amused himself by pecking at the
+chain till he disengaged the sunflower seeds I had fixed in the links.
+When he was more than a year old, and I thought he might be depended
+upon, I tried the rather anxious experiment of letting him out of doors.
+He soon became quietly happy, investigating the wonders of tree
+branches, inquiring into the taste of leaves and all kind of novelties,
+when two or three sparrows flew at him and scared him considerably. Away
+he went, followed by the sparrows, and I began to repent my experiment,
+and feared he might go beyond my ken and lose himself. He was out nearly
+an hour, but at last he returned and went quietly into his cage. It
+seemed strange that the wild birds should so soon discover that he was
+not one of their clique, but I suppose Verdant revealed the secret by
+looking frightened, and the others could not resist the fun of chasing
+him. For more than a year and a half my birdie was a constant pleasure.
+Whenever he entered the dining-room my first act was to open Verdant's
+cage, when he would always fly to the bullfinch's cage and greet him
+with a chirp, then look to see if his friend had any provender that he
+could get at--a piece of lettuce between the bars, or a spray of millet
+to which he could help himself; no matter that Bully remonstrated with
+open beak, Verdant calmly feasted on stolen goods _con gusto_, and then
+scouted around for any dainties on the carpet, where he sometimes found
+a stray sunflower seed, always his greatest delight. After his summer
+moulting he became wonderfully vigorous, and would fly round the room
+with such velocity that I often felt afraid he might some day fly
+against the plate-glass windows and injure himself.
+
+That mournful day came at last! He had been out as usual at
+breakfast-time, came on my finger for a seed, had his bath, and went on
+the little swing for more seeds, and flew about with all his joyous life
+and vigour. We had only left the room for a few moments, when, on
+returning, the dear little bird lay dead beneath the window, against
+which he had flown with such force as to break his neck and cause
+instant death.
+
+The sorrow of that moment will never be forgotten; indeed, I cannot even
+now think of my little pet with undimmed eyes--he was a moment before so
+full of life and beauty, so fearless, such a "sonsie" little fellow;
+and then to hold the little golden green body in my hand and watch the
+fast-glazing eye, and think that I should never again have my cheery
+little friend to greet me and be glad at my coming, was one of those
+sharp pangs that true lovers of nature alone can understand. From all
+such I know I shall have sympathy in the tragic death of my much-loved
+little Verdant.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: WILD DUCK.]
+
+THE WILD DUCKS.
+
+
+WHEN our grass was being cut the mowers came upon a wild duck's nest
+containing eight eggs; they were carried whilst still warm and placed
+under a sitting hen; in a week's time she brought out eight fluffy
+little ducklings, which were placed with her under a coop in the
+farmyard. I paid them a visit the next day, but, alas! I saw four little
+corpses lying about in the grass, the remaining four were chirping
+piteously, and the hen was in despair at being unable to comfort her
+uncanny children. Evidently their diet was in fault; I thought I would
+take them in hand, and therefore had the coop brought round to the
+garden, and placed under the drooping boughs of a deodar near the
+drawing-room window, where I could watch over them.
+
+I gave the wee birdies a pan of water, and placed in it some
+finely-shred lettuce, with grits and brown bread crumbs, not forgetting
+suitable food for the poor distracted hen. It was charming to hear the
+little happy twitterings of the downy babes, how they gobbled and
+sputtered and talked to each other over their repast, swimming to and
+fro as if they had been ducks of mature age and experience, instead of
+mere yellow fluffs of a day old; and, finally, they seemed to remember
+they had a warm, comfortable mother somewhere, and sought refuge under
+her kindly wings, where I left them exchanging confidences in little
+drowsy chirps.
+
+I found it needful to guard my little brood with fine wire-work, for
+some carrion crows kept hovering near, and a weasel was constantly on
+the watch to carry them off; but these enemies were successfully
+baffled, and three of the ducks survived all dangers and grew to
+beautiful maturity, the fourth having died in infancy from an accidental
+peck from the hen. In rearing all wild creatures the great thing is to
+study and imitate, as nearly as possible, their natural surroundings,
+and especially their diet. Chopped lettuce and worms made a fair
+substitute for their natural food, but the jubilation that went on when
+a mass of water-weed, full of insects, water snails, &c., was brought
+them, showed that they knew by instinct what suited them best. With
+constant care and attention they grew very tame, and would eat out of
+one's hand, and when let out of the coop would follow me to a certain
+heap of dead leaves where worms abounded, and there, with the most
+amusing eagerness, they pounced upon their wriggling prey, snatching the
+worms out of each other's beak, and tumbling over one another in their
+excitement, all the while making a special chirp of exceeding happiness.
+
+They were named Tiny, Sir Francis Drake, and Luther--I fear the last
+name had a covert allusion to the "Diet of Worms."
+
+When the purple feathers began to show in their wings, and they
+considered themselves quite too old to pay any allegiance to their
+hen-mother, they began to absent themselves for some hours each
+afternoon, and this, too, in a most secret fashion, for I could never
+tell how they disappeared, but they returned in due time, walking
+quietly in Indian file, and lay down in their coop. At last I traced
+them to a pond a long distance off--it really seemed as if they had
+scented the water, for they had to traverse a lawn and wood, go across a
+drive, and through a hedge and field, and then the pond was in a hollow
+where they could not possibly have seen it; but there I found my little
+friends in high glee, darting over the surface of the water, splashing,
+diving, sending up showers of spray from their wings, and going on as if
+they were possessed. I called to them, and in a moment they quieted
+down, and behaved exactly as children would have done when caught
+tripping--they came out of the water and followed me, in the meekest and
+most penitent manner, back to their home under the deodar.
+
+These birds would stay the whole morning with me in perfect content if
+they were allowed to nestle into a wool mat placed at the doorstep of
+the French window leading out upon the lawn; there they would plume
+themselves and sometimes preen each other, and I could watch the way in
+which the feathers were drawn through the apparently awkward bill, yet I
+suppose so suited for its various uses; anyway the feathers came out
+from its manipulations as smooth and sleek as velvet, and when the
+toilet was over the head found its rest behind the wing, and profound
+sleep followed. Sometimes my friends would make a spring upon the sofa
+by my side, I fear with a view to forthcoming worms, of which they well
+knew I was the purveyor; and nothing could exceed the slyness of their
+eyes as they looked up at me and mutely suggested an expedition to that
+heap of leaves!
+
+I must say I derived an immense amount of amusement from those ducks;
+they had such innate character of their own, quite unlike any other bird
+I ever came across.
+
+I had often looked forward to the time when they would take to their
+wings and come down upon the lawn from aerial heights with a grand fuss
+and fluttering of wings, but that desire they never gratified. The day
+came at last when I saw them circling high up in the air, so high that
+they were mere specks in the sky, but where they alighted I never could
+find out. They always re-appeared, walking solemnly (the little
+hypocrites!) one after the other, as if they had been doing nothing in
+particular, and were now coming in exemplary fashion to be fed. I
+believe it is very rarely the case that wild ducks, however they may
+appear domesticated, will remain all the year through with those who
+have reared them, and really take their place in the poultry-yard with
+the other inmates. Still it has been known, and I will subjoin an
+account given me by a friend, which goes to prove that such a state of
+things is possible. My friend gave me in substance the following account
+of her wild ducks:--
+
+"There are different kinds of wild ducks; these are mallards. The first
+we had were hatched by hens. They feed with the other ducks, but show a
+decided preference for Indian corn. They are very troublesome about
+laying, often leaving their eggs exposed, where the crows find them and
+carry them off. We gather most of them we find, to take care of them
+(though the ducks lay in different places each time their nest is
+robbed) until there are preparations for sitting, when, if we have been
+fortunate enough to discover the fact, we add a number of the previously
+gathered eggs.
+
+"The sitting duck comes for food every two or three days, and that is
+all we see of her for some time, until at length she may be seen coming
+through the meadow, the half-grown mowing grass behind her trembling and
+waving in an unusual manner: by-and-by, the road or shorter grass is
+reached, when it is found the proud mother is bringing home her little
+fluffy family of perhaps eight to eleven darkie ducklings--quick,
+active, tiny things that refuse at first all friendly advances, but
+becoming accustomed to their surroundings soon behave much in the manner
+of their elders. There are dreadful fights on the pond when two or more
+little families arrive about the same time, the mother of one flock
+tyrannizing over the members of another, and thus causing many deaths.
+They often fly away, but they always come back again. All through the
+winter they go under cover with the other ducks, but when spring comes
+they are not to be found at night; nevertheless they are sure to be
+ready for breakfast next morning."
+
+I confess I always had a faint hope that my ducks might stay with me, or
+at any rate return from time to time, but their wild nature prevailed,
+and they finally left; only Luther reappeared alone one day and took his
+last "diet" from my hand; but there was a look in his pretty blue eye
+which said plainly, "You will never see me again," and he had his final
+caress and departed "to fresh woods and pastures new."
+
+[Illustration: _TINY, SIR FRANCIS DRAKE AND LUTHER_]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+THE JAY.
+
+
+My Jay was taken from the parent nest, built on the stem of an
+ivy-covered tree which had been blown down in the winter. A young jay is
+a curious-looking creature: the exquisite blue wing feathers begin to
+show before the others are more than quills; the eyes are large and
+bright blue, and when the great beak opens it shows a large throat of
+deepest carmine, so that it possesses the beauty of colour from its
+earliest days, and when full grown and in fine plumage it is one of the
+handsomest of our birds. In its babyhood my jay was much like other
+young things of his kind, always clamouring for food, and seeming to
+care for little else, but as he grew up he attached himself to me with a
+wonderful strength of affection which entirely reversed this order of
+things, for whenever I came into the room he was restless and unhappy
+until I came near enough for him to feed me, he would look carefully
+into his food-trough, and at last select what he thought the most
+tempting morsel, and then put it through the bars of his cage into my
+mouth. He would sometimes feed other people, but as a rule he disliked
+strangers, and I have known him even take water in his beak and squirt
+it at those who displeased him. On the whole, a jay is not a very
+desirable pet; he is restless in a cage, and too large to be quite
+convenient when loose in a room; again, his great timidity is a
+drawback--the least noise, the sight of a cat or dog, puts him in a
+nervous fright, and he flutters about with anxious notes of alarm. He
+is seen to best advantage hopping about on a lawn, where he may be
+attracted by acorns being strewn in winter and spring. It is a pity that
+his marauding habits in game preserves lead to his being so ruthlessly
+shot by gamekeepers till it is almost a rare sight to see the handsome
+bird and hear his note of alarm in the woods. One morning I saw a jay on
+the lawn near the house, and rather wondering as to what he was seeking,
+in a minute or two I saw him pounce upon a young half-fledged bird and
+carry it off in his beak, a helpless little baby wing fluttering in the
+air as he flew away. Their sight is wonderfully keen, and their cunning
+is amusing to watch as they steal by careful steps nearer and nearer to
+their prey, and at last by a sudden dart secure it and make off in rapid
+flight.
+
+[Illustration: THE JAY.]
+
+After a year or two my poor jay met with a very sad fate. A garden-party
+was to take place, and knowing the jay's terror of any unusual noise or
+upstir, I carried his cage to a quiet room where I hoped he would be
+quite happy and hear nothing.
+
+I, however, did not happen to notice that, later on, the band had
+established their quarters near this room, and I suppose the unwonted
+sounds drove the poor bird into a wild state of terror, and that in his
+flutterings he had caught his leg in the bars of the cage; anyway, I
+went up about the middle of the party to see how my pet was faring, when
+I found him in utter misery clinging to the bars, his thigh dislocated
+and his leg hopelessly broken. It was a mournful duty to carry him away
+to merciful hands that would end his torture by an instant death. For
+many a day I missed that bright, handsome birdie who had always a
+welcome for me and the offer of such hospitality as his cage afforded.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: A YOUNG CUCKOO.]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+A YOUNG CUCKOO.
+
+
+Looking out of my window before six o'clock one bright morning in early
+summer, I chanced to see a large bird sitting quietly on the gravel
+walk. Its feathers were ruffled as if it felt cold and miserable, and
+its drooping head told a tale of unhappiness from some cause or other.
+Whilst I was watching it, a little bird darted with all its force
+against the larger one, and made it roll over on the path; it slowly
+rose up again, but in another minute a bird from the other side flew
+against it and again rolled it over. Such conduct could not be
+tolerated, so, dressing quickly, I went out, and picking up the strange
+bird I found it was a young cuckoo nearly starved to death, having, as I
+supposed, lost its foster-parents. The bird was in beautiful plumage,
+except down the front of its throat, where the repeated attacks of the
+small birds in showing their usual enmity towards the cuckoo, had
+stripped off the feathers. The poor bird was only skin and bone, nearly
+dying from lack of food and persecution, and made no resistance when I
+brought him in to see if I could act the part of foster-mother.
+Finely-mixed raw meat and brown bread seemed to me the best substitute
+for his insect diet--but he _was_ an awkward baby to feed--though
+sinking for want of nourishment he would not open his great beak, and
+every half-hour he had to be fed sorely against his will with many
+flapping of his wings and other protests of his bird nature. He would
+not stay quiet in any sort of cage, but when allowed to perch on the rim
+of a large basket quite free, he remained happily enough by the hour
+together. After a few days he grew into a vigorous, active bird, flying
+round the room, and too wild to be retained with safety He was
+therefore let loose, and soon flew quite out of sight. I should hope he
+was quite able to support himself by his own exertions. I must say he
+showed no gratitude for my benevolent succour in his time of need.
+
+[Illustration: YOUNG CUCKOO ATTACKED BY BIRDS]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+THE TAMING OF OUR PETS.
+
+
+Since the love of animal and bird pets seems so universal, both amongst
+rich and poor, it is well that the desire to keep creatures in captivity
+should be wisely directed, and that young people especially should be
+led to think of the things that are requisite to make their pets live
+and prosper in some degree of happiness.
+
+I have often been consulted by some sweet, impulsive child about its
+"pet robin" or "dear little swallow," as to why it did not seem to eat
+or feel happy? and have found the poor victims quietly starving to
+death on a diet of oats, canary seed, or even green leaves, the infant
+mind not feeling quite sure what the "pretty birdies" lived upon.
+
+It is needless to say we might as well try to keep a bird on pebbles as
+give hard grain to a soft-billed insect-eating bird; but this kind of
+cruelty is constantly practised simply from ignorance. I would therefore
+endeavour to give a few general rules for the guidance of those who have
+a new pet of some kind, which they wish to domesticate and tame.
+
+To begin with animals; suitable food, a comfortable home, means of
+cleanliness, and exercise are essential to their health and comfort.
+These four requisites are seldom fully attended to. Often a large dog is
+kept in a back yard in London chained up week after week--kept alive, it
+is true, by food and water, but without exercise, and with no means of
+ridding himself of dirt and insects by a plunge now and then into a pond
+or river. No wonder his piteous howls disturb the neighbours, and he is
+spoken of as "that horrid dog!" as if it was his fault poor fellow! that
+he feels miserable and uses his only language of complaint.
+
+One would suggest, it is better not to keep such a dog in a confined
+space in town, but if he is to be retained he should have one or two
+daily scampers for exercise, the opportunity of bathing, if he is a
+water-dog, plenty of fresh water, dog-biscuits, and a few bones twice a
+day, and a clean house and straw for bedding.
+
+I would call attention to the piece of solid brimstone so persistently
+put into dogs' water pans. It is placed there with the best intention,
+but is utterly useless, seeing it is a perfectly insoluble substance,
+but a small teaspoonful of powdered brimstone mixed now and then with
+the water would be lapped up when the animal drinks, and would tend to
+keep his skin and coat in good condition.
+
+Different animals need treating according to their nature and
+requirements, and surely it is well to try and find out from some of the
+many charming books on natural history all the information which is
+needed to make the new pet happy in its captivity. It is both useless
+and cruel to try to keep and tame newly caught, full-grown English
+birds. After being used to their joyous life amongst tree branches, in
+happy fellowship with others of their own kind, living on food of their
+own selection, it is hardly likely they can be reconciled to the narrow
+limits of a cage and the dreariness of a solitary life; it is far better
+not to attempt keeping them, for what pleasure can there be in seeing
+the incessant flutterings of a miserable little creature that we know is
+breaking its heart in longings for liberty, and though it may linger a
+while is sure to die at last of starvation and sorrow. No, the only way
+to enjoy friendships with full-grown birds is to tame them by food and
+kindness, till such a tie of love is formed that they will come into our
+houses and give us their sweet company willingly.
+
+No cruelty of any kind whatever should be tolerated for a moment in our
+treatment of the tender dumb creatures our Heavenly Father has given us
+to be a solace and joy during our life on earth.
+
+The taming of pets requires a good many different qualities--much
+patience, a very quiet manner, and a cheery way of talking to the little
+creatures we desire to win into friendship with us; it is wonderful how
+that prevents needless terrors.
+
+There are no secrets that I am aware of in taming anything, but love and
+gentleness. Directly a bird flutters, one must stop and speak kindly;
+the human voice has wonderful power over all animated nature, and then
+try to see what is the cause of alarm, and remove it if possible. In
+entering a room where your pet is, always speak to it, and by the time
+you have led it to give an answering chirp, the taming will go on
+rapidly, because there is an understanding between you, and the little
+lonely bird feels it has a friend, and takes you instead of its
+feathered companions, and begins to delight in your company.
+
+A person going silently to a cage and dragging out the bottom tray will
+frighten any bird into flutterings of alarm, which effectually hinders
+any taming going on; but approach gently, talking to the bird by name,
+pull the tray quietly a little way, and then stop and speak, and so draw
+it out by degrees and the thing is done, and no fright experienced. A
+better way still is to have a second cage, and let birdie hop into that
+while you clean the other, and then it is amusing to see the pleasure
+and curiosity shown on his return when he finds fresh seed, pure water,
+and some dainty green food supplied; the loud chirpings tell of great
+delight and satisfaction, and the dreaded process is at last looked
+forward to as a time of recreation. It is much best that one person only
+should attend to the needs of a pet; indeed, I doubt if taming can ever
+go on satisfactorily unless this rule is observed; a bird is perplexed
+and scared if plans are changed, and, not knowing what is required of
+him, he grows flurried, and the training of weeks past may be undone in
+a single day.
+
+Only those who have tried to educate birds can have any idea of the way
+in which their little minds will respond to affectionate treatment shown
+in a sensible way. They have a language of their own which we must set
+ourselves to learn if we would be _en rapport_ with them. Their
+different chirpings each mean something, and a little observation will
+soon show what it is; for instance, my canary fairly shrieks when she
+sees lettuce on the breakfast-table, and her grateful note of thanks
+when it is bestowed upon her is of quite a different character. So also
+is her tender little sound of rejoicing when I give her some broken
+egg-shell; she seems to value it immensely, and chirps to me with a
+great piece of it in her bill, quite regardless of good manners. I often
+think with pain how much birds must suffer when hour after hour they
+call and chirp and entreat for something they want, which they can see
+and long for, and yet the dull-minded human beings they live with pay no
+heed to them, food and water are given, but, in many cases, nothing more
+all day long, not even a little chickweed or groundsel, or the
+much-needed egg-shell to supply strength to their little bones. A bright
+word or two for birdie now and then, and a few friendly chirps as we
+enter the room, would do much to cheer the little prisoner's life, and
+would soon bring a charming response in fluttering wings and evident
+pleasure at our return.
+
+This state of things cannot be attained in a day or a month; it is only
+by persistent kindness, exercised patiently, until the little heart is
+won to a perfect trust in you as a true friend.
+
+Birds can easily be trained to come out for their daily bath, and then
+go back to their cage of their own accord, but it needs patience at
+first. The bird must never be caught by the hand or driven about, but if
+the cage is put on the floor with some nice food in it, and the bird is
+called and gently guided to it, though it may take an hour to do it the
+first time, it will at last hop in, and then the door may be very
+quietly shut. Next time he will know what you wish and will be much more
+amenable, until at last it will be the regular thing to go home when the
+bath is over.
+
+I would condemn the practice of making birds draw up their own water;
+they are never free to satisfy their thirst without toilsome effort, and
+are much more liable to accident when chained to an open board than when
+kept in a cage. It is also sad to know that dozens of birds are starved
+to death or die of thirst whilst being taught this trick--frequently but
+one out of many is found to have the aptitude to learn it.
+
+It is a great help if some specially favourite food can be discovered by
+which the pet creature can be rewarded for good conduct. I _never_ take
+away food or water to induce obedience by privation--a practice which I
+fear is often resorted to in training creatures for public
+exhibition--but an additional dainty I much enjoy to bestow, as a means
+of winning what is at first, it is true, merely cupboard love, but it
+soon grows into something far deeper, a lifelong friendship, quite apart
+from the food question.
+
+Cleanliness is a _very_ important item in a bird's happiness. Whilst
+kept in a cage with but little sand and an outside water-glass which
+affords no means of washing its feathers, a bird is apt to become
+infested with insects; it is tormented by them day and night, and having
+no means of ridding itself of them, it grows thin and mopy, and at last
+dies a miserable death.
+
+There should be a bath supplied daily, suited to the size of the bird,
+and so planned that the cage itself may not get wet, else it may give
+the bird cramp to have to sit on a damp perch or floor. When its
+feathers are dry, some insect powder may be carefully dusted under the
+bird's wings, at the back of his head, where parasites are especially
+apt to congregate, and all over the body, only taking care that the
+powder may not get into the bird's eyes. The cage itself should be well
+washed with carbolic soap and water, all the corners scrubbed with a
+small brush; and, when dry, it might be sponged with carbolic lotion
+over the wire-work to kill any insects which may yet remain.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+BIRDIE.
+
+
+Amongst all the different birds which are kept in cages, either for
+their beauty or song, there is one which to my mind far excels all
+others, not only in its vocal powers, which are remarkable, but for its
+very unusual intelligence. I refer to the Virginian nightingale. It is a
+handsome, crimson plumaged bird, rather smaller than a starling, not
+unfrequently seen in bird-sellers' collections, but seen there to the
+worst possible advantage, for, being extremely shy and sensitive, and
+taking keen notice of everything around, the slightest voice or movement
+in the shop will make it flutter against the bars of its cage in an
+agony of fright, and it therefore looks a most unlikely bird to become
+an interesting pet; but I will try to show what may be done by gentle
+kindness to overcome this natural timidity. This will be seen in the
+history of Birdie, my first Virginian nightingale, my daily companion
+for fourteen years.
+
+He had belonged to a relative, and there was no way of tracing the age
+of the bird when first obtained; I can therefore only speak of those
+years in which he was in my possession. Birdie had been accustomed to
+live in a cage on a high shelf in the kitchen, well cared for, no doubt,
+but, untamed and unnoticed, he led a lonely life, and was one of the
+wildest birds I ever met with. For many months his flutterings, when any
+one came near his cage, could not be calmed, but by always speaking to
+him when entering the room, and if possible giving him a few hemp-seeds
+or any little dainty, he grew to endure one's presence; then, later on,
+he would begin to greet one with a little clicking note, though still
+retreating to the furthest corner of the cage, and a year or two passed
+by before he would take anything out of my hand, but this was attained
+by offering him his one irresistible temptation, _i.e._, a lively
+spider; this he would seize and hold in his beak while he hopped about
+the cage, clicking loudly with delight. After a time I began to let him
+out for an hour or two, first releasing him when he was moulting and
+could not fly very easily. He learned to go back to his cage of his own
+accord, and was rewarded by always finding some favourite morsel there.
+Thus, by slow degrees, he lost all fear, and attached himself to me with
+a strength of affection that expressed itself in many endearing little
+ways. When called by name he would always answer with a special chirp
+and look up expectantly, either to receive something or to be let out.
+His song was very similar to the English nightingale, extremely liquid
+and melodious, with the same "jug-jug," but more powerful and sustained.
+On my return to the room after a short absence he would greet me with
+delight, fluttering his outspread wings and singing his sweetest song,
+looking intently at me, swaying his head from side to side, and whilst
+this ecstasy of song lasted he would even refuse to notice his most
+favourite food, as if he must express his joy before appetite could be
+gratified. After a few years he seemed to adopt me as a kind of mate!
+for as spring came round he endeavoured to construct a nest by stealing
+little twigs out of the grate and flying with them to a chosen retreat
+behind an ornamental scroll at the top of the looking-glass. He spent a
+great deal of time fussing about this nest, which never came to
+anything, but he very obligingly attended to my supposed wants by
+picking up an occasional fly, or piece of sugar, and, hovering before me
+on the wing, would endeavour to put it into my mouth; or, if he was in
+his cage, would mince up a spider or caterpillar with water, and then,
+with his beak full of the delicious compound, would call and chirp
+unceasingly until I came near and "made believe" to taste it, and not
+till then would he be content to enjoy it himself.
+
+During an absence from home, Birdie once escaped out of doors, and was
+seen on the roof of the house singing in high glee; the servants called
+him, the cage was put out, but all to no purpose, he evidently meant to
+have "a real good time," and kept flying from one tree to another until
+he was a quarter of a mile from home. A faithful servant kept him in
+sight for three hours, by which time hunger made him return to our
+garden, where he feasted on some raspberries, took a leisurely bath in a
+tub of water, and at length flew in at a bedroom window, where he was
+safely caged. I never knew a bird with so much intelligence, one might
+almost say reasoning power. He was once very thirsty after being out of
+his cage for many hours, and at luncheon he went to an empty silver
+spoon and time after time pretended to drink, looking fixedly at me as
+if he felt sure I should know what he meant, and waited quietly until I
+put water into the spoon. Another curious trait was his sense of humour.
+Whilst I was writing one day he went up to a rose, which was at the far
+end of the table, and began pecking at the leaves. I told him not to do
+it, when, to my surprise, he immediately ran the whole length of the
+table and made a scolding noise up in my face, and then, just like a
+naughty child, went back and did it again. He would sometimes try to
+tease me away from my writing by taking hold of my pen and tugging at a
+corner of the paper, and whenever the terrible operation of cutting his
+claws had to be gone through, he quietly curled up his toes and held the
+scissors with his beak, so that it needed two people to circumvent his
+clever resistance. He had wonderfully acute vision, and would let me
+know directly a hawk was in sight, though it might be but the merest
+speck in the sky. He once had a narrow escape, for a sparrow-hawk made a
+swoop at him in his cage just outside the drawing-room window, and had
+no one been at hand would probably have dragged him through the bars.
+Whenever he saw a jay or magpie, a jackdaw or cat, his clicking note
+always told me of some enemy in sight. For many years Birdie was my
+cherished pet, never was there a closer friendship. As I passed his cage
+each night I put my hand in to stroke his feathers, and was always
+greeted with a low, murmuring note of affection never heard in the
+daytime.
+
+It was with deep concern that I watched Birdie's declining strength;
+there was no disease, only weakness, and at last appetite failed, but
+even then he would take whatever I offered him and hold it in his beak
+as if to show that even to the last he would try to please me as far as
+he could, but he wanted nothing but the quiet rest which came at length,
+and dear little Birdie is now only a cherished memory of true
+friendship.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: ZOeE, THE NUTHATCH.]
+
+ZOeE, THE NUTHATCH.
+
+
+A visit to a bird-dealer's shop always awakens a deep feeling of pity in
+my mind as I look at the unhappy, flutter-little captives, and think of
+the breezy hill-sides and pleasant lanes from which they came, to be
+shut up in cages a few inches square, with but little light, a stifling
+atmosphere, strange diet, and no means of washing their ruffled feathers
+or stretching their wings in flight. Truly, they are in evil case, and
+no wonder so many die off within a few days of their capture! In some
+places they are better cared for than in others, but in most bird-shops
+dirt and misery seem to prevail amongst the tenants of the cages.
+
+One such place I have often visited for the sake of meeting with live
+curios. The owner was a kind-hearted woman, and did not intentionally
+ill-treat her live-stock; but the shop was very dark and dirty, and one
+could but wonder how anything contrived to live in such close, stivy
+air. On going in one day, I nearly walked over a large, pensive-looking
+duckling which stood in the middle of the shop. His brother had been
+considered suitable for the adornment of a table-lamp with a
+looking-glass stand, on which a bright yellow duckling was placed, as if
+swimming on water; this bird, having some darker markings, was of no use
+for that purpose and had been allowed to live. He had a strange,
+old-fashioned look, and gave one the impression that he was already
+tired of life and felt bored. A lark on its little piece of turf,
+fluttering and looking up for a glimpse of blue sky; a dejected robin,
+with no tail to speak of, and sundry other sad-looking specimens met my
+pitying gaze, and I suppose I had caught their sorrowful expression,
+for I was startled by a sharp voice near me, saying, "What's the
+matter?" I turned to reply, and found the inquiry was made by a grey
+parrot, who introduced himself as "Pretty Poll," and was ready to make
+friends to any extent. But my attention had been caught by seeing what
+looked like a nuthatch: only it was moping and ill, with eyes shut and
+feathers ruffled. I asked about it, and was told it had some injury to
+its foot, and was unsaleable, as the woman feared it would not live. I
+made a bid for it, and it was accepted. I confess I was not sorry to
+leave the stilling air of the shop and bring my new pet home. I fitted
+up a large cage with pieces of wood and tree-bark, a pan for bathing,
+sand, and fine gravel; a bone with a little meat upon it hung from the
+roof of the cage, and other suitable food was placed in a tin. The poor
+birdie was a pitiable object for some days; she ate now and then, but
+remained for the most part quite still, with closed eyes, from morning
+till night. Then she began to creep up and down the small tree-stem I
+had placed in the cage. She took a bath and plumed herself, and in less
+than a fortnight she became quite well and vigorous, and very amusing
+in a variety of ways. Never was there a more active, busy little
+creature.
+
+Her characteristic was life, so she was named "Zoee," and before long she
+seemed to recognize her name, and would give an answering chirp. The
+pieces of bark appeared to afford a never-failing interest. They were
+examined and investigated in every crevice. Like a little woodpecker
+hanging head downwards, Zoee would hammer at a nut fixed in the cracks of
+the bark, and would hide away unfortunate mealworms not required for
+immediate use.
+
+Zoee regularly honeycombed the little tree-stem with her incessant
+hammering, and in the numerous holes thus made she kept her supply of
+food. No sooner was her tin filled with small pieces of raw meat than
+she began stowing them all away for future use. She seemed to exercise a
+good deal of thought about the matter; a morsel would be put in and out
+of a hole half a dozen times before it was considered settled and
+suitable, and then it had to be well rammed in and fixed, and off went
+the busy little creature to fetch another piece, and so on, till all
+was disposed of, and the tin left empty. Zoee was greatly exercised by a
+half-opened Brazil nut: it was too large to fix into the bark, it would
+not keep steady while she pecked at it, and yet there were good things
+inside which must be obtained. I watched her various devices with great
+amusement. She hung head downwards from the tree-stem and hammered at it
+on the ground, but it shifted about, and she made no way; then she
+carried it in her beak and tried fitting it into various places. I hope
+she did not swear at it, but she seemed to think the thing was
+possessed, for it was not like the ordinary nuts: she could manage them;
+they would go into holes in the bark; this wouldn't fit anywhere, and
+yet she could not give it up. At last, by a bright inspiration, she got
+it fixed into a space between the tree-stem and the side of the cage.
+Now she was in high glee, and all the household might have heard the
+rapping that went on while she scooped out the inside and chipped off
+pieces to be hidden carefully away in some secret place.
+
+Zoee had a cosy nook under a sloping piece of bark, to which she would
+retire at times, and sitting down on the bottom of her cage in the
+shadow, looked like a little grey mouse. When appetite brought her out
+again, she would go to her tree-larder and pick out the choice hidden
+morsels, as if they were the insects which would have been her food if
+her lot had been cast amongst tree-branches instead of in a cage.
+
+When winter began, Zoee was placed in the conservatory, where a tame
+robin often came for a few hours to enjoy his daily crumbs and the
+pleasant warmth of the air. Bobby was greatly puzzled at the nuthatch,
+watched her hammerings from the top of the cage, walked round it,
+surveying the provisions inside, and at last he made up his mind to get
+in somehow and partake of the longed-for dainties. I could see quite
+plainly the attraction, the hesitation, the pros and cons, and then,
+finally, the resolve, and felt very curious as to how the birdish mind
+would carry out its intention. There was only one place, where the bars
+were rather widely apart, so that the nuthatch could have got out if she
+had possessed half the wits of the robin. After a quiet survey and a few
+flights backwards and forwards, Bobby saw this place, and made towards
+it, sat and considered for a few seconds, and finally went in. The
+nuthatch was sitting quietly under her piece of bark, and did not see
+him; so he picked up the desired morsels, and, after a few minutes, went
+out where it came in. These visits he repeated frequently through the
+day, but once I was amused to see that he forgot "the way out," and put
+himself in a great fuss, realized that a cage was a prison, and flew up
+and down in a fright, until by chance he saw the opening, and glided
+out. At last Zoee caught him in the act of purloining her goodies, and
+was most indignant. A rush at the thief, with an angry chirp, sent Bobby
+flying away in ignominious haste, a wiser, but not a repentant bird; for
+he continued his robberies, only with care to avoid being caught; he
+ventured only a little way into the cage, ready to go out at a moment's
+notice.
+
+Zoee had a good deal of quiet humour, and was a character in her way. She
+considered me very attentively one day, with a roguish look in her black
+eyes, and then, going to her tree-stem larder, she pulled out a hidden
+mealworm and held it up for me to see, with an evident wish that I
+should know about it, and possibly with a little birdish triumph that
+she possessed such delights; and then it was put back again and well
+rammed into its crevice until the hungry moment should arrive. After a
+few months Zoee became tame enough to be let out of her cage, and would
+hop quietly about the room, and, like a small, grey-coated detective,
+would peer about stealthily under tables and chairs in search of live
+dainties; and extremely pretty she looked as she crept up the curtains
+with jerky motions, evidently thinking they were tree-stems where, by
+careful search, delightful centipedes and beetles might be found.
+
+I do not know if naturalists have remarked that the nuthatch has a very
+limited range of vision. Zoee could see nothing beyond twelve or fourteen
+inches; the most tempting mealworm might lie on the floor of the cage
+unnoticed if she happened to be on her tree-stem; and I have tried
+bringing the insect nearer by degrees, and found that only when within a
+foot of her eyes could she see it, and I fancy then only indistinctly
+as she would peer about excitedly, as if uncertain what it was, until
+near enough to be in the focus of clear vision, and then, by a sudden
+dart, she would seize and flit away with it.
+
+At first Zoee's roosting-place was under the curved piece of bark lying
+on the floor of her cage, but after a time she took up her nightly
+quarters in a small box which hooked on to the side of her cage. It was
+a very cramped and uncomfortable lodging, and I wondered how she
+contrived to squeeze into such a small space. It occurred to me that a
+little cocoa-nut with a hole at one end would be the sort of
+sleeping-chamber she would prefer, as being most like a hole in a
+tree-stem, in which, probably, nuthatches roost.
+
+An empty cocoa-nut was, therefore, provided. With birdish distrust and
+caution Zoee only eyed it for some days, then perched on it; but finally
+she went in, and it was amusing to see her evident delight: how she went
+incessantly in and out, and turned round and round inside, and finally
+sat down and remained in it for an hour or more, quite still and happy,
+peering out at any one passing by, her sleek head and neck looking
+remarkably like a snake, and her furtive black eye observantly watching
+all that went on around her.
+
+Her cage, when not in the conservatory, was placed on a table in the
+drawing-room, close to where I was sitting, and thus she was frequently
+spoken to and noticed, which is one great secret in taming birds and
+animals. They soon learn to greet one with some token of recognition,
+and their often solitary lives are brightened and cheered by such
+companionship.
+
+An amusing thing occurred one day while I was away from home for a few
+hours. Zoee's cage had been placed in the sun, and a friend of mine,
+glancing at the bird, saw her in an apparently dying state, her head
+hanging on one side, the beak wide open, all the feathers ruffled, and
+the whole aspect of the bird indicating the near approach of death. The
+bell was rung, the servants came in, and whispered consultations were
+held as to what could be done, and "What would mistress say?" seemed the
+uppermost thought. All at once, Zoee jumped down and began a vigorous
+hammering at her tree-stem, as full of life as ever, and she was at once
+voted "a little impostor." When I returned and heard the account, it was
+easy to explain that my birdie had been enjoying a sun bath, which
+always gives rise to most lackadaisical positions while the state of
+dreamy absorption lasts.
+
+The mealworms which Zoee mainly lived upon were kept in a tin
+biscuit-box, which she knew well by sight, and one day, being too busy
+to spare time to feed her with them, I opened her cage-door and put the
+box down a little way from the cage on the floor, and placed a small log
+of wood for her to descend by. Down she came, perched on the edge of the
+box, looked at the layers of flannel which covered her delightful worms,
+and tugged at one corner after another till she obtained her prey. After
+swallowing two or three, she thought a little store might be useful, and
+began taking them in her beak, and searching for some convenient
+hiding-places, but as I did not desire to have the drawing-room neatly
+ornamented with mealworms, I had to prevent that little design being
+carried out. My tiny pet lived happily for about a year, but when the
+moulting time came she grew weak and ill, and did not seem to have
+strength to produce her new plumage; for, in spite of all possible care,
+she drooped and died. She lives in my memory as one of the most gentle,
+innocent birdies I have ever had, absolutely without temper, contented
+and cheerful, a perfect pattern of industry, chipping out holes in her
+log of wood, and flitting about with a happy little chirp from morning
+till night, a bright example of what a cheery life may be lived, even by
+a caged bird, when kindly treated and cared for thoughtfully.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+TITMICE.
+
+
+I must own my strong liking for these active, saucy little birds. For
+eighteen years I have always had a basket hung just outside the
+dining-room window containing their favourite food, _.e._, fat of any
+kind, cooked or uncooked; and most amusing it is to watch their little
+odd ways and tempers whilst frequenting the said basket. Four species
+thus studied showed distinct characteristics. Directly I put out a fresh
+supply of fat, the Cole Tit would spend all his time and energies in
+carrying it away, piece by piece, to lay by in store for the future, in
+crevices in the bark of trees, and this work he would carry on with
+misplaced energy until the basket was emptied. The Greater Tit and Marsh
+Tit came quietly for the supply of their own personal needs, and to feed
+their young in nesting time, but the Blue Tit was by far the most
+amusing. His attitudes were quite a study; he seemed rather to prefer
+being upside down; clinging to the basket and hammering away at the hard
+fat, head downwards, was a favourite pose; then, when any one else
+desired a share, he would make a stand with open beak and outspread
+wings and enact "king of the castle" in the most impertinent manner,
+considering his tiny dimensions. A guerilla warfare seems always going
+on amongst these Blue Tits. If one was in the basket and remaining
+perfectly still, I knew two or three others were meditating a sudden
+combined assault, but it seemed as if the steady gaze of the titmouse
+in possession kept them at bay for a time. At length a twittering
+scrimmage ensued, and the combatants disappeared. I once coaxed a Blue
+Tit to live in the dining-room for a few days, and he made himself very
+happy, constantly flitting about in search of insects, running up and
+down the curtains like a veritable mouse, alighting on any joint of cold
+meat which happened to be on the sideboard, and making an excellent
+dinner in Bohemian fashion. Of course his fearless curiosity led him
+into difficulties. He would sit on the edge of a jug and peer down to
+see what it might contain, and his plumage was not improved by the baths
+of milk or cocoa which he met with in the pursuit of knowledge of this
+kind. Some years ago an empty cocoa-husk with a hole at one end,
+furnished with nesting materials, was hung up just above the basket of
+fat. A large tit began to build in it, but unhappily for him a Blue Tit
+had also been house-hunting, and determined to settle in it. I saw the
+matter decided by a pitched battle between the two; they fought
+desperately, rolling over and over on the lawn, pecking, chirping,
+beating each other with their wings, like little feathered furies as
+they were.
+
+[Illustration: Titmice.]
+
+At last it was ended, and Blue Tit was victor. It was pretty to see the
+tiny pair building their nest, with little happy twitterings and
+confabulations over each piece of moss or dried leaf, and so fearless
+were they that a large blind was often let down close to and over the
+husk without disturbing the inmates. When the hen bird was sitting, the
+cock would bring a green caterpillar for her every four or five minutes,
+and sometimes take her place on the nest. I often took the husk down
+from its nail to show the brave little bird sitting on her eggs. If
+touched she would hiss and set up her feathers, but did not leave her
+nest. When the young birds were hatched, the parents were incessantly at
+work from early morning till late at night bringing small caterpillars
+about every two minutes to supply the wants of the tiny brood. One can
+judge of the usefulness of these birds in ridding our gardens of insect
+pests by the amount consumed by this one pair. By a moderate
+calculation, and judging by what I saw one afternoon, I believe they
+must have brought 3,570 in the course of one week. At last the day came
+when five little blue heads peeped out of the entrance to the husk. One
+after another the little ones flew into branches near by; the last one I
+held in my hand for a while that I might draw its portrait. Fearing it
+might be hungry if I kept it too long, I placed it in a cage on the
+lawn, where the old birds found it and fed it for me through the bars. I
+then brought it in again, and having finished its likeness, had the
+pleasure of restoring it to its parents. The Blue and Cole Tit often
+choose the inside of a disused pump as their nesting-place. A Cole Tit
+built in an old pump in our grounds for many years, the curved spout
+being its mode of ingress and egress. I could open a small door and look
+at the pretty little hen on her nest, and then at her numerous family,
+and watch their growth till old enough to fly. Certainly young birds
+show a grand lesson of obedience, for creeping out into the world
+through a dark, curved pipe, must have seemed a rather perilous mode of
+exit. Another less fortunate Cole Tit built in a post-box placed by a
+garden gate, and seemed in no way disconcerted when letters came in
+suddenly around and upon her. She usually laid eighteen eggs in a deep,
+soft nest of moss and hair. As boys were apt to take this nest year
+after year, a lock was placed to the box to protect the little bird; but
+the genus boy has no pity, and through the slit for the letters, some
+cruel urchin, vexed at not being able to take the nest, put in a stick
+and killed the poor little mother and broke the eggs. For several years
+a Blue Tit chose to build her nest in the lower part of a stone vase in
+the garden. There was a hole for drainage in the bottom, and through
+this hole the little bird found a circular space just suited for her
+nest. That particular vase could not be filled with plants till long
+after all the rest were gay with flowers. We were obliged to wait till
+the domestic affairs of the Tit family were ended, else their fate would
+have been sad indeed. There is no doubt that these birds do contrive to
+secure their share of peas and other things in the kitchen garden, and
+are by no means favourites with the gardeners, but I still maintain that
+the good they do in destroying insects counterbalances their evil doings
+in other respects. However, they sometimes commit other misdemeanours.
+My head gardener came to me one day looking very serious, and began by
+asking what he was to do about "those Blue Tits." "Why, what have they
+been doing?" I asked. "Two of them have been sitting at the entrance of
+one of the hives, and they have picked off and killed every bee as it
+came out, and now they have begun upon a second hive." "Well, you had
+better hang up some potatoes stuck over with feathers, and that will
+frighten them away." "I've done that, ma'am, and they sit on the
+potatoes and look at me!" It was a trying case of utter contumacy, and
+at last I was obliged, for the sake of saving my bees, to let one little
+victim be shot and hung up as "an awful example" to the rest, and it
+proved an effectual remedy. My basket of fat used to prove very
+attractive all through the cold weather, when, I suppose, these tiny
+birds need the caloric it supplies; they always left off coming as soon
+as the days were warm and insects plentiful.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+BLANCHE, THE PIGEON.
+
+
+Pigeons possess a great deal more individuality of character than any
+one would suppose who has only seen them in flocks picking up grain in a
+farmyard, like domestic fowls.
+
+They show to better advantage when only a few pairs are kept and fed
+daily at some settled place; but to make really interesting pets two are
+quite sufficient, and may be made very amusing companions. Some species
+may possess more mental capacity than others. Those I have to speak of
+were snow-white trumpeters. A pair was sent to me, but, to my sorrow, I
+found on opening the basket that the male bird had escaped on the way;
+so I could only put the solitary hen in a cage, and do all that was
+possible in the way of plentiful food and kind care to make her happy;
+but all to no purpose. The poor bird pined and grew weaker every day,
+till she became unable to get up to her perch. I used, therefore, to go
+to her every evening and place her comfortably for the night; and she
+soon grew tame enough to like being caressed and talked to. When spring
+returned I obtained a male pigeon, and hoped Blanche would accept him
+for a mate, but she showed a great deal of temper, and made him so
+unhappy that he had to be exchanged for another--a fine snow-white bird
+like herself, and, happily, of such a forbearing disposition as to
+endure being considerably "hen-pecked." Now began the curious part of
+Blanche's history. The pair built a nest in a small pigeon-house close
+to my window, so that I was able to watch all the family arrangements
+with much interest. Blanche liked to be with me for some hours in the
+morning, sitting on the table pluming herself, quite at ease, and when
+that operation was ended she generally seated herself on a large Bible
+which lay at one end of the dining-table, and there she usually went to
+sleep; a white dove resting on the Word suggested to one's mind many a
+beautiful emblematic thought. These visits to me were paid most
+regularly when a nest was finished and the eggs were being hatched; she
+then shared the duties of incubation by turns with her mate. He would
+sit patiently for four hours on the nest, while Blanche spent that time
+with me; then, punctually at the right moment, she would wake up, and,
+lazily stretching her wings, would fly out at the open window to see how
+affairs were getting on at home, and take her place on the nest for her
+appointed four hours.
+
+She was a most eccentric bird in the matter of laying eggs. I sometimes
+found she had made me a present of one, neatly placed amongst my working
+materials! In fact, wherever she happened to be upon the table would be
+deemed by her a suitable place for laying; and, as I always conveyed the
+eggs to her nest, her little freaks did not much matter. But at last
+she took it into her wilful little head to lay her eggs in the
+coal-scoop, an arrangement which by no means improved her snowy plumage.
+She had a pretty crest, which curved over her head, and her feet were
+clothed with rather long feathers reaching to the claws. At our
+breakfast-time she would often sit close to my plate, letting me stroke
+her and draw out her pretty wings. I must own she was as conceited as
+any peacock, throwing herself on her side and stretching out a feathered
+foot, little dreaming how she was being laughed at for her affected
+attitudes. If she had a fault, it was her temper! I have seen her go up
+to her mate and give him a most uncalled-for peck, and he--amiable
+bird!--would bear all her unkindness so meekly, only answering by a
+propitiatory coo. Blanche reared many sons and daughters, but none were
+so interesting as herself. I ascribe her unusual tameness to the loving
+care bestowed upon her in her long illness. When once a bird's
+affections are won in that way they generally remain firm friends for
+life.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+GERBILLES.
+
+
+These curious little animals were brought to my notice by a scientific
+friend who had seen them at the Zoological Gardens, and heard that they
+were to be obtained there by applying to Mr. Bartlett.
+
+As I always regretted the untimely death of my pet jerboa, I thought
+these little rodents would fill his place, and prove amusing pets. And,
+accordingly, I paid a visit to the Zoo, and found a whole colony of
+gerbilles of all ages living very amicably together in a large,
+strongly-built wooden box, with bran, oats, and nuts for provender.
+
+It was no easy matter to secure a pair of suitable size and age. I could
+but admire the patience of the attendant who made persevering attempts
+to catch the nimble creatures for me, but they leaped and sprang about,
+darted through his fingers, disappeared into holes, and seemed to enjoy
+his discomfiture. At length a lively pair, with sleek skins and perfect
+tails, were securely caged.
+
+Then I was warned to keep them in a tin-lined cage, as they would "gnaw
+through anything," even the solid teak chest in which they were kept was
+being rapidly demolished by their powerful incisors.
+
+The gerbilles were placed in a plant case, four feet long, with glass
+sides and top, through which their gambols could easily be seen. The
+case had a glass partition, and on one side lived a pair of chipmunks,
+or striped American squirrels. They were highly incensed at their new
+neighbours, springing with all their force against the partition, with
+low growlings, casting up the cocoa fibre with their hind legs, as if to
+try and hide them from their view. They soon found a little chink,
+through which, I am afraid, some very strong language was launched at
+the new-comers.
+
+Happily the gerbilles did not mind. They found delightful tree-roots to
+gnaw at, plenty of food, and freedom to frisk and frolic to their
+heart's content, so their neighbours were free to growl as much as they
+liked, and they in their turn raised a hill of fibre and played at
+hide-and-seek in their new domain.
+
+But let me now describe these gerbilles. I believe there are several
+species, differing somewhat in appearance. These were fawn-coloured,
+with sleek, soft fur, which, like the chinchilla, was blueish next to
+the skin. They were about the size of small rats, with little ears and
+long tails, with a black tuft at the end. The fur was white underneath,
+the eyes jet black and very large, and long black whiskers, which were
+always in motion. The hind legs being longer than the front ones,
+enabled the creature to spring and leap along the ground with great
+rapidity, as I found to my cost one night, when five of them got out of
+their case and gave us an hour's occupation before they could be
+recaptured. One managed to get inside an American organ, and effectually
+baffled all our efforts to secure him. There was no help for it, he had
+to be left there, and I went away with an anxious mind as to what his
+busy teeth would be employed upon all night; and, sure enough, next
+morning a velvet curtain was found nibbled and tattered, and being
+converted into a nest for the enterprising gerbille! They became very
+amusing, tame little creatures, ready to take dandelions, nuts, or any
+little dainty, from one's hand.
+
+As they breed very readily in England, I was soon presented with a
+little family of five very tiny, pinkish-coloured infants, quite blind,
+and destitute of hair. They were not attractive, and so were left to
+their mother's care till they could see and were properly clothed, and
+then they were extremely pretty, and rapidly developed all the habits
+and manners of their parents, gnawing wood, nibbling nuts, and having
+merry games of their own, darting with wonderful quickness in and out of
+the tree-roots, and getting up small battles for some coveted morsel of
+diet. The first pair were quiet enough, and agreed happily together, but
+when, later on, mother and daughter happened to have a little brood at
+the same time, things became complicated, and it was no uncommon sight
+to see the two mothers careering about, each with an infant in its
+mouth, and it often fell to my lot to take care of the unfortunate
+children and replace them in the nest whilst the mothers had a
+"stand-up" fight, and this is a literally true expression, for gerbilles
+sit bolt upright and fight each other with their front feet; but, though
+they appear to be in desperate conflict, I must say I never saw that any
+damage was done. As to their gnawing power, it is almost beyond
+description. I gave them a strong wooden box as a nursery for the young
+gerbilles, but before long they had eaten out the back and sides, and a
+mere skeleton of a box remained. There was a piece of zinc, which formed
+a partition, but they ate a hole right through the zinc in no time, and
+when a wire cage, with a sliding door, was placed in the plant case,
+they soon learnt how to lift up the door and get out. We often watched
+the formation of the family nest, which was constructed of wool and hay
+nibbled very small, and carried by mouthfuls and woven together. It
+generally had two outlets for ingress and egress. There the entire
+family would sleep during the day amicably enough, but towards evening
+the nursery disputes would begin, and old animosities led to frequent
+battles and scrimmages, because somebody wanted some one else's pieces
+of wool for the precious infants. Still they were very tame, amusing
+little creatures, liking to be stroked and fed and rewarded by a run
+upon the breakfast-table, where they would examine every dish and plate
+in a delicate, inquiring way, not touching the contents--only trying to
+add to their small amount of knowledge of the outside world. Their food
+consisted of bran, oats, pea-nuts, wheat, fresh dandelion and
+clover-leaves, and on these they lived in perfect health and beauty.
+
+As the colony increased, it was needful to make several homes for the
+gerbilles, and the original pair happened to be, for a time, in a cage
+upstairs on a landing. One of these found its way out of the cage, down
+the stairs, across the hall, and was discovered next morning in a room
+where the younger members of the family were kept. This would go to
+prove a keen scent, which, I suppose, guided the little animal to find
+its friends, and also confirms what travellers have written about
+gerbilles living in large colonies and always keeping together.
+
+One evening I had to read some natural history papers at a Band of Mercy
+meeting in a neighbouring village, where the clergyman's wife took great
+interest in promoting kindness to animals, and as I proposed speaking
+about the gerbilles, I thought I would take some of them with me to show
+the children. Accordingly a mother and four little ones, were put into a
+cage with some food and bedding for their comfort whilst being
+exhibited. I was concerned to see the extreme terror they seemed to feel
+at the unusual motion of the carriage, and in a few minutes one became
+convulsed and literally died of fright. I held the cage in my lap, and
+talked to the others to reassure them, fearing more casualties, but
+after a while they settled down, and we reached the schoolroom in due
+time. I was scarcely prepared for the tremendous sensation the gerbilles
+created. Remarks in broad Hertfordshire greeted their appearance. "Whoy,
+here's a lot of moise." "Noa, they ain't; they's rats!" "Will they
+boite?" and then such a cluster of children came round me they had to be
+called to order, and the cage was carried round that all might see the
+little foreigners, and through all the after-proceedings many pairs of
+eyes remained fixed upon the cage and its inmates. I fancy that evening
+will long be remembered by the children.
+
+The great difficulty that attends the keeping of these little animals is
+their rapid rate of increase. It is true they can all be kept together,
+for, as I have said, though there are squabbles they do not result in
+any personal injury, and thus my colony was allowed to go on till there
+was no counting the number of generations that existed. I very much
+wished to reduce the numbers, and give some away, but could never tell
+which were the mothers of the small pink infants I was being presented
+with continually. I tried putting a little family of the babies into a
+cage in the plant case, hoping the mother who belonged to them would
+then appear and take care of them; but no, the entire colony trooped in
+and ran riot in the new place, and if a young gerbille was by chance
+left uncovered in the _melee_, a twentieth cousin would take it up
+tenderly as if it was its own mother, and replace it in the nest--a very
+emblem of brotherly kindness and charity. The colony had finally to be
+dispersed and given away in small detachments to different friends, and,
+strange to say, in no other case did the numbers increase, I imagine
+because the requisite conditions of space and quietness were not
+realized as in the pleasant home I was able to provide for them.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+WATER SHREWS.
+
+
+Hearing that the little patients in a London hospital had scarcely any
+toys, and that they especially desired a very large doll, I had one
+dressed for them, and various other interesting items, such as an album
+of pictures, bags of shells, a stamp snake, &c., were prepared; but a
+large box was needed in which to pack all these treasures; and one which
+had been for months in the wine-cellar was brought up for that purpose
+into the hall.
+
+It was filled with straw, and as I was watching this being taken out I
+noticed some small black animals darting about in it.
+
+"They must be young rats," I exclaimed, "and the rare kind, too--the
+black rat, which has been almost entirely eradicated by the stronger
+brown species." A curious instance, by the way, of a foreign interloper
+driving out the native.
+
+I immediately resolved to secure these animals, whatever they might
+prove to be, and, armed with leather gloves, and an empty glass globe to
+place my captures in, I began to search in the straw, and soon secured
+the supposed rats, but they proved to be a pair of water shrews--jet
+black, lively little creatures, with sharply-pointed snouts and teeth,
+as I soon discovered to my cost. I had taken off my gloves and was
+watching the activity of the shrews, when suddenly they flew upon each
+other, biting and screaming with rage, and, thinking they would kill
+each other at that rate, I tried to separate them, but one turned and
+bit me pretty severely, and it was with some difficulty they were
+parted. One I put into a zinc fern case, and the other into a large
+empty aquarium, with shingle at the bottom, moss and wool for bedding,
+and a large pan of water for swimming and bathing.
+
+They were rather larger than the common mouse, jet black above, and
+greyish-white beneath--restless, active creatures, usually found near
+ponds and ditches; and how ever these two had found their way into a dry
+cellar, and lived in a box of straw will always remain a mystery. I
+learnt from books that they fed on worms and insects, and that diet was
+provided, though much to my distress, for it is a miserable thing to see
+any living creature tortured and devoured alive, even though it may be
+in obedience to natural instincts. Happily I soon found a substitute. I
+was showing one of the shrews to a fellow-student of natural history,
+and with a long feather soon attracted the little animal's attention; he
+always came out of his bed and sprang upon the feather like a little
+tiger, dragging it about and holding on with the grip of a bull-dog, so
+that one could lift him off the ground and keep him swinging a minute in
+the air to see the pretty white fur underneath. My friend suggested that
+it probably fed on small birds and thought the feather was part of its
+daily fare.
+
+I obtained a fowl's head from the larder, and then it was a sight to see
+how it was pounced upon and dragged about until securely hidden under
+the moss, when we could hear our little friend crunching the bones and
+tearing it to pieces as if he had not had anything so good for a long
+while.
+
+One shrew died in a few days, but the other lived three weeks in perfect
+health, and I believe it was an accidental failure of sufficient food
+that led to the death of the second; their appetite seems to be, like
+that of the mole, most voracious, and unless they obtain a constant and
+ample supply of food they quickly die of hunger.
+
+They are worth studying for a few days, but their dreadful odour and
+fierce character make them anything but pets. I suppose there is hardly
+any animal in England so fierce and combative, and probably that may
+account for the fact that one so often comes across a dead shrew lying
+on the path in summer.
+
+When swimming, the shrew's furry coat perfectly resisted the entrance of
+moisture; it always came out absolutely dry. The said coat was most
+carefully kept in order; a daily brushing and cleansing went on, the
+little tongue was often at work licking off every little speck of dust;
+the toes were spread out and examined; the small amount of tail kept in
+order. I could but think how many a lesson we may learn from the small
+as well as the great creations of God's hand--habits such as this little
+animal possessed might, in the way of cleanliness, lead to the
+prevention of endless diseases, if imitated by those who never dream of
+daily cleansings as being necessary to health and life.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: SQUIRREL.]
+
+SQUIRRELS.
+
+
+If one lives in the country where these graceful little animals exist,
+it is well worth while to attract them near the house so that one may
+enjoy the sight their gambols and minister to their wants by suitable
+diet. As I have already said, for many years food was placed in a basket
+outside the dining-room window to attract the charming little titmice,
+and four species might be seen feasting on fat of different kinds. I
+placed Barcelona nuts for the nuthatches, and they came and shared the
+contents of the basket with the tits. The nuts also drew a squirrel to
+the spot, and after about a year, the little fellow became so used to
+seeing us moving in the room that he would sit in the basket with his
+graceful little tail curved over his back, cracking his nuts, and
+nibbling away quite at ease. Then the window was opened and the nuts put
+on a table inside the room, and there little "Frolic" sits whilst we are
+at meals and forms one of the family, holding his nuts cleverly in his
+paws, whilst his sharp teeth bite a hole in them, and, regardless of
+tidiness, he flings the shells about as he nibbles at the kernels,
+looking at us with his black, beady eyes, perhaps speculating upon what
+our breakfast may be. How much more enjoyable is this sort of pet than a
+poor caged squirrel whirling round in his wheel, condemned to a dreary
+life, with no freedom or change, no intercourse with his kind.
+
+In town there is, perhaps, no way to keep a squirrel but in a cage; even
+so, by an occasional release from its captivity, a constant variety in
+its food, and its being talked to and noticed, its life may be made
+less irksome, and, if young, it may eventually be made quite tame, and
+become an interesting daily companion.
+
+We derived great amusement from our squirrel visitors; one after another
+they would leap up the side of the window and spring in and out of the
+basket in quick succession, carrying away a nut at each visit, playing
+and skirmishing with each other in lively fashion. I am sorry to confess
+there was great jealousy amongst them. A second squirrel took to coming
+into the room, and Frolic and he had a pitched battle, in which our
+favourite, poor little fellow! lost half his ear, and a sponge and water
+were needed to efface the sanguinary stains left by the fight.
+
+The squirrel's great enemy is the cat. One would not think she could
+catch the agile little creature; but one day we saw a cat watching an
+unconscious little squirrel under the tulip-tree: we did not dream that
+she could harm it, but in a moment she made one swift rush at her prey.
+The squirrel ran at full speed, but alas! before we could interfere it
+was caught and carried away.
+
+At Dropmore, the gardener told us he had a cat that kept the Pinetum
+quite clear of squirrels. They certainly nibble the young shoots of firs
+and horse-chestnuts unmercifully in the spring, and one very dry summer
+they took very kindly to our peaches and nectarines; but I freely
+forgive their little sins, and should be sorry to miss them from the
+lawn where there are often four or five to be seen at once.
+
+They chase each other round a tree-stem with wonderful agility, and
+express their animosity with angry grunts and a stamp of the foot like a
+rabbit. In autumn I have acorns and beech-mast collected, and store some
+bushels of each to be doled out through the winter and spring; strewn
+under the tulip-tree this food, mixed with corn, attracts an amusing
+variety of live creatures. Besides the squirrels which are constantly
+there, we see jays, wood-pigeons, jackdaws, rooks, and flocks of the
+smaller birds; if snow should prevail, a whole rookery will come to see
+what is to be had. By constantly watching their movements I have learnt
+that the squirrel's tail has quite a language of its own. It can be
+curved over its back and so spread out that on a wet day it forms a
+complete shelter from rain. It will take the form of a note of
+interrogation or lie flat on the ground, stand out at an angle or
+bristle with anger, according to the mood of the possessor.
+
+I did not find the American chipmunks, before alluded to, at all
+tameable. They were very handsome, of grey colour with dark brown
+stripes on their sides.
+
+They were extremely wild, and would spring round their cage in perfect
+terror when looked at, so, finding they could not be made happy in
+confinement, I let them loose in the garden in the hope they might
+burrow under a large rhododendron clump, but after a day or two they
+disappeared, and I suppose they made their escape to a neighbouring
+wood, so that I have little hope of ever seeing them again.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+A MOLE.
+
+
+A live mole above-ground is a somewhat rare sight, for, as a rule, his
+habits are altogether subterranean; but now and then he may be captured
+by a sudden grasp as he scrambles along in his odd, unwieldly fashion,
+and a curious fellow he is in many ways.
+
+Strolling quietly along a country lane one summer's evening, I heard a
+great rustling in a dry ditch, the dead leaves were being scattered
+right and left, and I stopped to see what could be the cause. In a
+minute the black velvet coat of a mole appeared, and I at once resolved
+to endeavour to catch it, though with little hope of success, for the
+creature is apt to dive into the ground in an instant when alarmed.
+However, watching my opportunity, I managed to seize and hold him
+firmly; but I had nothing to put him in, and he struggled furiously to
+escape. All I could do was to roll him up in one end of my black lace
+shawl and hurry home with my capture. Alas! for the unlucky shawl--the
+mole soon began rending and tearing it into shreds with his powerful
+feet and teeth. I was rapidly becoming acquainted with the habits of
+moles, and in a way that I should not soon forget; still, that mole must
+be brought home somehow, and I next transferred him to my dress pocket,
+which I held fast, whilst he scrambled and pushed his strong little
+snout in all directions to find some way of escape. He was soon placed
+in a zinc fern case, with glass sides, supplied with earth to burrow in,
+and fed with worms. I also gave him a pan of water, as I remembered
+seeing a plan of a mole's burrow which always includes a place for
+water. It was a really painful sight to watch the creature feeding; he
+pounced upon a worm with the fury of a tiger, and holding it in his
+mouth, tore it to pieces with his sharp claws and rapidly devoured all
+the pieces, and snuffing about to make sure he had quite finished it, he
+then darted off to seek another. The mole has a most voracious appetite
+and dies very quickly if unable to obtain food. I was interested to
+watch the bustling, active life of the little creature; his morning
+toilet when the black velvet coat was attended to, carefully brushed and
+licked by a tiny red tongue (though it never seemed to pick up dirt or
+defilement in its passage through the earth) and finally, after a few
+days, I had the pleasure of setting him free, when he dived into the
+ground out of sight in a moment.
+
+Some years later a live mole was much desired by a young relative who
+was giving Natural History lectures to some school children. It happened
+that a mole had found its way into the conservatory and was doing much
+damage there by making its runs close to the surface and uprooting the
+plants in its course. The gardener and I resolved to catch it; he was
+anxious to prevent further mischief to his plants, and I was wishing to
+help the lecturer by sending a lively specimen to illustrate his
+subject. The exciting part of the business was the necessity of making
+the capture before eleven o'clock, when the carrier would pass by, and,
+taking charge of the animal, would deliver it in time for the lecture
+next day. We watched for the upheaving of the mole's run which came at
+last. The gardener made a quick plunge with his hand into the soft
+earth, but alas! the mole escaped. He kept quiet for ten minutes, then
+another attempt was made, and failed. The carrier's bell sounded and he
+passed by. I still kept watch, and again saw the earth move--the third
+time was successful. I had gone to find a tin box, and on my return I
+was greeted with "Here's the mole, ma'am!" Poor fellow! he was being
+ignominiously held up by the scruff of his neck, and kicking furiously
+at the indignity. He was soon packed up in soft grass, with a plentiful
+supply of worms to feast upon by the way. A special messenger overtook
+the carrier, and a telegram was sent to announce the dispatch of the
+precious animal.
+
+He first reached a London office, where I fear he tended to hinder
+business, as it was needful to transfer him to a cage, and no one seemed
+particularly anxious for the honour of catching him, as his teeth were
+known to be both sharp and numerous, and his disposition not of the
+meekest. However, he was placed in his cage, travelled down into Kent,
+and gave wonderful pleasure when exhibited to the children.
+
+One would naturally suppose that in a country village where boys and
+girls are daily going to and from school, they would all have been
+familiar with this little creature, but when the question was asked if
+they had ever seen a dead mole, only fifteen children out of ninety had
+seen one, and only three had ever seen a live one.
+
+Next day the mole was let loose upon a very hard piece of ground, but
+even there he very quickly burrowed out of sight.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+HARVEST MICE.
+
+
+I had often wished to keep these interesting little animals, but as they
+are only found in some parts of England and are difficult to capture
+from their minute size and delicacy, I had to wait many years before
+they could be obtained. At length, through the kindness of a friend, six
+were sent to me from Norfolk, and for two years they lived in captivity
+and afforded me much pleasure.
+
+They are the smallest English rodents, two of them only weighing a
+halfpenny; they are brown in colour with white underneath, very long
+whiskers and prehensile tails. They were made happy by finding all
+things needful for their comfort in a large plant case. A thick layer of
+cocoa fibre was spread over the bottom of the case, dry moss and hay
+provided, wheat-ears, oats, and canary seed, and a small cup of water. A
+flowerpot in which a number of small branches were fixed afforded
+opportunity for exercise in climbing, and a pleasant resting-place was
+formed by a half-cocoanut filled with cotton-wool and roofed over with
+dry moss, then slung by three wires in a tripod of sticks of
+corky-barked elm, a little hole for entrance being left at one side.
+Into this the mice went the moment they were turned into the case, and
+in it they mostly lived. I fancy its swinging a little as they moved
+inside was congenial to their ideas of comfort. As they live in
+cornfields and make a pendulous nest attached to an ear of corn, I
+supplied them with a pot of growing wheat, in the hope that they would
+incline to make a nest in it; but I could never induce them to rear a
+family. They would sit for hours in the corn-stalks and nibble them
+into a heap of shreds, but no nest ever appeared. Their greatest delight
+was a handful of fresh moss full of little insects on which they would
+feed. The greatest excitement was always shown when the moss
+appeared--little heads would peep out of the cocoa-husk, little noses
+sniffed in all directions, and then, with jerky runs, the tiny folk made
+their way to the attractive spot, and soon each would be seen sitting up
+like a small kangaroo feasting on a beetle or spider held in the tiny
+paws. Sometimes in their great happiness they made a low, sweet chirping
+like a company of wrens conversing cheerily together. When climbing in
+their tree-branches it was interesting to see how the fine wiry tail was
+always coiled round the stem as the creature descended, so as to keep it
+from falling and injuring itself.
+
+Canary seed and brown bread seemed a favourite diet, and if I put a
+trough of growing corn into the case the mice made little burrows
+through it so as to be able to eat the wheat from below. I had heard a
+sad report that my fairy-like pets had a tendency to eat each other as
+spring came round! This I fancied might arise from lack of animal food,
+so once or twice a week I always gave them a small portion of meat and
+this seemed to prevent any tendency to cannibalism.
+
+After keeping them two years several deaths occurred, so I thought the
+remainder should have their liberty, and I had the pleasure of seeing
+them enter one of my corn-stacks where I hope they found all that their
+little hearts could desire, and possibly they would stray to a
+neighbouring bank and found a colony.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+THE CALIFORNIAN MOUSE.
+
+
+A rather strange parcel from California reached me by post some years
+ago. It was marked "Live animals with care," and consisted of a box,
+containing several divisions, each having fine wire-work to admit air.
+In one I found a spiny creature called a Gecko, in another a beautiful
+lizard which had not survived the journey, and in the third a very rare
+species of mouse known as _Perognathus Pencillatus_. It has a soft silky
+coat of silver grey and fawn colour, and a long tail with a little tuft
+at the end, very large black eyes and white paws. It was alive, but weak
+and tired with its journey of ten days and all the jars and shocks it
+must have had by the way. I gave it warm milk and soaked bread, which it
+seemed to enjoy, and some hours later it was supplied with wheat grains,
+the food upon which it lives in its native country.
+
+True to his natural instinct, mousie soon began to fill both his cheek
+pouches with the corn, and tried to hide it away as a supply for the
+future. In a few days the little creature was in perfect health, and he
+has been a great pet now for several years; perfectly tame and gentle,
+he will run about on the table and amuse himself happily wherever he is
+placed.
+
+Being entirely inodorous he is kept in the drawing-room in a mahogany
+cage which was made specially to meet his small requirements. He is a
+busy little creature at night, as he likes daily to make a fresh bed of
+cotton-wool, and fusses about with his mouth full of material until he
+has arranged his little couch.
+
+In his own country, where the cold is very severe in winter, its habit
+is to become perfectly unconscious, exactly as if dead, and in that
+state it can endure the rigour of the climate and wake up when the
+temperature rises. It was once left in a cold room and became in this
+apparently lifeless state. I was not alarmed, as I knew of its
+peculiarity, but it really was difficult to believe it ever could
+revive; there was no trace of warmth, or any apparent beating of the
+heart, and so it lay for some days, but on bringing it into a warm room
+it became as bright and active as ever. It seems a more intense form of
+hibernation than that of our squirrel and dormouse.
+
+The naturalist at San Bernardino, from whom I obtained this mouse, told
+me he had kept one as a pet for many years, and his specimen lived
+entirely without water; as there was sufficient moisture in the wheat
+grains on which it fed to supply its need; but I think it is cruel to
+keep anything without the means of quenching thirst which might arise
+from an artificial mode of life, so my little pet has always a small jar
+of water to which I know it resorts from its requiring to be refilled
+from time to time.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+SANCHO THE TOAD.
+
+
+About four years ago I began to feed a toad that had found its way into
+the conservatory. He sat daily in one place expecting his meal-worms,
+and when he had snapped them up with his curious sticky tongue he would
+retire to some hidden nook and be invisible until the next day. Each
+winter he has hibernated as soon as cold weather began, and reappeared
+with the spring sunshine. Sancho is now a very portly, and most amusing
+pet.
+
+Few people would guess how much character can be shown by even this
+poor, despised reptile when treated with real kindness, regularly fed,
+and never frightened or abused. I will describe what happens when Sancho
+is "shown to the public."
+
+Some meal-worms are thrown on the pavement near him. He sits for a time
+gazing at them with his gold-rimmed eyes; then slowly creeps towards
+them, fixes his eyes on one of the worms bends his head a little towards
+it, then one hears a snap and the prey is taken. The act is so rapid
+that one can never see the tongue that has picked up the
+meal-worm--simply it is gone! The toad's eyes are tightly shut whilst he
+swallows the morsel, and then he turns to pick up a second. Now is the
+time to approach him from behind and begin to stroke his leathery, warty
+skin. In a few seconds he is in a state of perfect ecstasy, his front
+legs are stretched out, he leans first to one side, then to the other,
+to guide the hand where he wishes to be stroked, and at last uplifts his
+ponderous body until he is an inch or more from the ground, supported on
+the tips of his toes. No description can do justice to the absurdity of
+the attitude, and the rapture seems so intense that food is forgotten,
+and so long as Sancho can get any one to stroke him, he is quite
+oblivious to all around him, although at other times he will hop away as
+soon as any stranger approaches.
+
+Sancho will not, as yet, take anything from my hand, but I hope to bring
+him to that state of tameness in course of time.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: ROMAN SNAILS.]
+
+ROMAN SNAILS.
+
+
+"How _can_ you take an interest in snails and slugs?--horrid, slimy,
+crawling things!" More than once have I heard this kind of remark from
+youthful lips when I produced my grand old Roman snails and gave them a
+pleasant time for exercise upon the dewy lawn. Now in my secret mind I
+think a snail is a wonderfully curious creature, neither ugly nor
+"horrid"--it _is_ slimy, but about that I shall have something to say
+later on.
+
+When staying at Box Hill, near Dorking, I often saw the great apple
+snail, _Helix Pomatia_, which is only found on chalk soils, and is
+supposed to have been introduced by the Romans, from the quantities of
+their empty shells found with Roman remains in all parts of England.
+They were kept and fattened in places called "Cochlearia" and made into
+various "dainty dishes" which the Romans thought quite fit to set before
+their kings. It is certain that they are very nutritious creatures, and
+that in times of famine people have supported life and kept themselves
+mysteriously "fat and well-liking" by resorting to snails and slugs as
+articles of diet. Indeed I have heard more than once that the famous
+"Pate de Guimauve" owes its healing nutritive character to this despised
+univalve, which is said to enter largely into its composition. I brought
+several apple snails home with me from Box Hill and kept them for many
+years, until I really believe the creatures, in a dim sort of way,
+recognized me as their friend, or at any rate their feeder. I cannot
+boast, as I believe an American lady is said to have done, that "her
+tame oysters followed her up and down stairs," but certainly my snails
+would, when placed upon the lawn, very frequently crawl towards me, and
+would do so again and again when removed to a distance. As the weather
+became cold they always hibernated, closing the mouth of the shell with
+a thin, firm covering, or operculum, of chalk, which, mixed with their
+slime, made a substance like plaster of Paris. Thus enclosed they would
+lie as if dead until the warmth of the following spring made them push
+the door open and come out, with excellent appetites, ready to eat
+voraciously to make up for their long fast. These Roman snails were
+quite five inches long when fully extended, and therefore were much
+larger than our English species; the body was cream colour and the shell
+a pale tint of buff varying somewhat in different specimens.
+
+These creatures were kept in a fern case with glass top and sides, and
+it was singular to observe the way in which they could suspend
+themselves (as shown in the drawing) from the top of the box.
+
+The substance which exists in the caterpillar of the silkworm moth, and
+which can be drawn out into fine shreds of silk, is very similar to the
+slime of the snail, only in the latter it is not filiform, but exudes as
+a liquid and then hardens into a thin layer of silk which is strong
+enough to support the weight of two of these snails, for, seeing them
+one day thus suspended, I put them in the scales and ascertained that
+the weight of the two amounted to 2-1/2 ounces.
+
+This mucus forms the glistening, shiny track which the snail leaves
+behind it, enabling it to glide easily and painlessly over rough
+substances which would otherwise lacerate its soft body.
+
+One hardly expected to find social feeling and affection in animals so
+low down in the scale of nature, but I do not know what else could have
+led my "Romans" to caress each other with their long horns by the hour
+together and always keep close to one another, twisting and curling
+their yielding bodies round each other in the most odd contortions. Our
+English snails hibernate in whole colonies for the winter, which also
+points to their affectionate and gregarious habits.
+
+In lifting up some moss I once came upon some yellow, half-transparent
+eggs about as large as pearl barley, and wishing to know what they would
+prove to be I kept them in damp moss under a tumbler for about a
+fortnight, when, to my dismay, I found a grand colony of yellow slugs!
+and not a little was I teased about these interesting young people. I am
+afraid I must own they were given as a _bonne bouche_ to my Virginian
+nightingale, who seemed highly to approve of this addition to his daily
+fare. Snails' eggs are nearly white and semi-transparent; the empty
+shells of young snails are very lovely when placed in a good microscope:
+the polariscope bringing out their exquisite prismatic tints.
+
+The gardener one day brought in a testacella, or shelled slug. It fed
+upon earth-worms and was quite unlike the ordinary black or grey slug,
+of which we have, alas! countless thousands preying upon all the green
+things of the earth. This shelled slug was yellow, and seemed able to
+elongate its body very differently to any other species. The shell was
+quite small, a simple dome-shaped plate upon the anterior part of the
+body. I kept it for some weeks on damp moss under a tumbler, but it was
+often able to escape by flattening itself to a mere thread and then
+crawling under the rim of the tumbler, and at last I gave it liberty as
+a reward for its persevering efforts to obtain its freedom.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+AN EARWIG MOTHER.
+
+
+I had often read of the earwig as an incubating insect, and much wished
+to see for myself how she carried out her motherly instincts. One bright
+May morning found me busily turning over stones, clinkers, and old
+tree-roots in a fernery, which, having been long undisturbed, seemed a
+likely spot for the nest I wished to find. There seemed no scarcity of
+worms, wood-lice, centipedes, or beetles, but no earwigs could I see;
+and I was just about to give up the search when, lifting a piece of
+stone, I saw a small cavity, about as large as would contain a pea, and
+in it lay about twenty-six round, white eggs, hard-shelled and shining,
+of the size of a small pin's head. An earwig had placed herself over the
+eggs, and I was delighted to think at last I had lighted upon the insect
+mother I had been searching for. But what was to be done with her? How
+could I watch the process of incubation? The difficulty was solved by
+lifting the nest and its mother with a trowel and placing it in a saucer
+under a tumbler, without any displacement of the eggs; thus the mother's
+care could be conveniently watched. The earwig first carefully examined
+her new home, touching each morsel of earth and stone with her antennae;
+and, having ascertained the exact condition of things, she set to work
+to make a fresh nest, labouring with great industry until it was formed
+to her mind. She then took up the eggs, one by one, with her mandibles,
+and placed them in the new nest, arranging and rearranging them, until
+at last she seemed content, and remained either upon or near them for
+the rest of the day, quite motionless.
+
+Every night, and sometimes two or three times in the day, she would
+form fresh places in the earth, and replace the eggs. To prevent the
+soil becoming too dry, I used to sprinkle a little water upon it--a drop
+here and there--and if by accident the water fell too near the eggs, the
+earwig became much excited, hurrying to and fro with her eggs, until
+they were all removed to a drier spot. On the other hand, if I omitted
+the water until the earth became dry, she would choose the dampest spot
+that remained in which to form her nest, and seemed to welcome the
+water-drops, drinking herself from them, and feeling the damp earth with
+her antennae. She remained thus for three weeks, feeding on little pieces
+of beef or mutton, or an occasional fly; I did not then know that
+earwigs are mostly vegetable feeders, but it is clear they can eat other
+food when needful. The first time I dropped a newly-killed house-fly
+near her she looked at it intently, felt it with her antennae, and then
+suddenly wheeled round and pinched it with her forceps, and being
+apparently satisfied that it could do no harm to her eggs, she began to
+devour it, and after an hour or two but little remained except the
+wings.
+
+As it was early in the year, but few insects could be seen, but by
+searching in the conservatory I found a large green aphis, which I gave
+to the earwig. To my surprise, instead of devouring it at once, she
+applied herself to one of the projecting tubes of the aphis, and
+evidently sucked its sweet secretion, and enjoyed it as much and in the
+same way as ants are said to do. She feasted thus for four or five
+minutes, but I am sorry to add that, unlike the humane ants, who care
+tenderly for their aphides and preserve their lives by kind treatment,
+the earwig ended by munching up the unfortunate aphis, till not a trace
+of it was left.
+
+At the end of three weeks I found one morning all the eggs were hatched,
+and tiny, snow-white earwigs, with forceps and antennae fully developed,
+were creeping about and around their mother. I placed a slice of pear in
+the saucer, upon which the little ones swarmed, and seemed to find it
+congenial food. In a few days they increased to nearly double their size
+when first hatched, and turned a light brown colour. Having ascertained
+all I wished to know about the maternal instincts of the earwig, I
+released the mother and her family, and no doubt she was happy enough to
+return to her old haunt in the fernery, and would greatly prefer
+tree-roots and stones to my tumbler-and-saucer arrangement.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: EGYPTIAN BEETLES.]
+
+THE SACRED BEETLE.
+
+
+On reading books on Egypt and the voyage up the Nile, one is sure to
+find some mention of the curious beetle which is found along the banks
+of the river, especially in Nubia, where the shore is traceried with the
+footprints of the busy little creature. Miss Edwards, in her very
+interesting book, "A Thousand Miles up the Nile," thus speaks of it:
+"Every one knows how this scarab was adopted by the Egyptians as an
+emblem of creative power and the immortality of the soul; it is to be
+seen in the wall-sculptures, on the tombs, cut out in precious stones
+and worn as an ornament, buried in the mummy-cases, and a figure of the
+beetle forms a hieroglyph, and represents a word signifying 'To be and
+to transform.' If actual worship was not paid to _Scaraboeus Sacer_,[1]
+it was, at any rate, regarded with the greatest reverence and a vast
+amount of symbolism drawn from its various characteristics."
+
+[Footnote 1: Or _Ateuchus Sacer_.]
+
+I had often wished to see this insect alive, and one day my wish was
+very unexpectedly gratified by the arrival of a small tin box in which I
+found a specimen of the sacred beetle swathed in wet linen like a
+veritable mummy, only, instead of being an Egyptian specimen, this had
+come from a kind friend at the Riviera, who knew that the same species
+existed there, and had sent me this one by post. The scarab was at once
+named "Cheops," and treated with all the respect due to his ancient
+family traditions.
+
+His wants were easily supplied: a deep tin box, with earth and moss
+slightly damped, gave him space for exercise; and then for food--alas!
+that his tastes should be so degraded--he had to be supplied with
+cow-dung! This could be done in secret, and judiciously hidden by fair,
+green moss; but when exhibiting my cherished pet to admiring friends
+the first question was sure to be, "What does he feed upon?" and one had
+to take refuge in vague generalities about organic substances, &c.,
+which might mean anything, and then, by diverting attention to some
+point of interest apart from the food question, the difficulty was
+generally overcome.
+
+I kept a close watch to see if the beetle would be led by instinct to
+form its round pellets of mud as is its custom on the banks of the Nile,
+and having placed its egg in the centre, it begins to roll it from the
+margin of the river until it is above high-water mark. There it digs a
+hole and buries the pellet, leaving the sun to hatch the eggs in due
+time. Travellers who have watched the process describe the untiring way
+in which both the male and female beetle roll these pellets, often
+falling down with their burden into holes and ridges in the rough
+ground; but then their comrades will give them help, and, picking up the
+ball, they patiently labour on. Walking backwards, having the pellet
+between their broad hind legs, they push it up and up until it is
+placed in safety. The persevering energy of this insect led the
+Egyptians to adopt it as an emblem of the labours of their great deity,
+Osiris, or the sun; they also traced a resemblance in the spiny
+projections on its head to the rays of the sun.
+
+Great was my delight to find at length that Cheops--even in
+captivity--was true to his native instincts, that he had formed a pellet
+about the size of a marble and was gravely rolling it with his hind legs
+backwards and forwards in his box. Poor captive! he was evidently
+puzzled what to do with the precious thing. He had no Nile bank to
+surmount, and the sun was hardly warm enough to encourage any hope for
+his future family; but he did the only thing that was possible--he set
+to work to scoop out a hole of sufficient size, then rolled the pellet
+in and covered it over with loose earth. Three such pellets were made at
+intervals of a few days; one of them I unearthed and kept as a curio.
+The beetle never seemed to miss it, and having done his duty under
+difficult circumstances, his mind seemed to be at rest.
+
+I often placed Cheops in my hand to show him to visitors, and there he
+would lie feigning to be dead until he was gently stroked over the
+elytra, when he would stretch out his antennae, then his legs by slow
+degrees appeared (for he tucked them close to his body out of sight when
+frightened), and at last he would begin to walk in a jerky manner, as if
+moved by machinery, often stopping to look and listen to be sure that it
+was safe to move, and even if busily at work in the earth, if he saw any
+one coming near he would stop, draw in his antennae and limbs and remain
+motionless.
+
+He had a strong and peculiar odour at times, which became more apparent
+if he was annoyed. He was infested with a small mite, and though these
+were frequently cleared away with water and a camel's-hair brush, they
+always reappeared in a day or two, clustering under the thorax between
+the first pair of legs, and at times they might be seen racing over his
+body with great rapidity. Once Cheops nearly escaped, for I had placed
+his box in the sun, and the warmth so excited and waked him up that he
+opened his wing-cases, used his gauze-like inner wings, and with a
+mighty hum was all but gone in search of his native land, but
+fortunately I was near enough to intercept his flight and place him in
+safe quarters. After keeping this curious creature in perfect health for
+sixteen months, I was much vexed to find him one morning lying in a
+shallow pan of water in his box, quite dead. He had overbalanced on to
+his back, and, being unable to turn over, had been drowned, though the
+water was scarcely half an inch deep. Poor Cheops is enshrined in a
+pyramid-shaped box, in which he is often shown and his life-history told
+to interested visitors.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS.]
+
+SPIDERS.
+
+
+Of all the varieties of "creeping things" spiders seem to be the most
+universally disliked. I knew well the kind of expression I should see on
+the faces of my friends when I produced the box which contained my pet
+Tegenaria, a large black spider, long-legged and very swift, a
+well-known kind of house-spider.
+
+Happily the box had a glass lid, so the inmate could be seen in comfort;
+and when the spider's history was told there was always an interest
+created in even this poor despised creature.
+
+When first placed in its new home the Tegenaria began spinning tunnels
+of white silky web in various directions across the box. They were
+almost as close in texture as fine gauze, and had openings here and
+there, so that they formed a kind of labyrinth.
+
+The spider always lived in one corner, curled up, watching for prey, and
+when a blue-bottle was put in, and began buzzing, she then rushed up one
+tunnel and down another until she could pounce upon her prey.
+
+The fly was quickly killed by her poison fangs, and then carried to the
+corner to be consumed at leisure. Unlike the habit of the garden or
+diadem spider, no cobweb was rolled round the victim; only the wings
+were cut off and the body carried away. After some months I noticed the
+corner seemed filled up with web and fragments of insects, and when I
+examined it more closely there appeared a large round ball of eggs, over
+which the spider had spun some web, and then had collected all the legs
+and wings of her prey and stuck them carelessly here and there in the
+web so as to conceal her nest, and make it look like the remains of an
+old cobweb. Over this nest she kept careful watch. One could not drive
+her from it; she only left it for a moment to spring upon a fly, and
+would return with her food immediately and resume her watchful life in
+the corner. At length the young spiders were hatched in countless
+numbers; they crept about the tunnels, and though so minute as to be
+mere specks, they were perfect in form, active in seeking for prey, and
+appeared perfectly able to take care of themselves and begin life on
+their own account.
+
+I had kept the Tegenaria more than a year in confinement, and having
+shown such admirable motherly instincts, I thought she had earned the
+reward of liberty. No doubt she welcomed "the order of release"! At any
+rate, she scampered away under some tree-roots, and possibly resides
+there with her numerous family to this day.
+
+Spiders hunt their prey in a variety of ways--some by spinning their
+beautiful web, with which we are all familiar; others, as the Zebra
+spiders, catch flies by leaping suddenly upon them, and these may often
+be seen on window-sills watching some coveted insect, drawing slowly
+nearer to the victim, till, by a well-directed spring, it can be
+secured. There are nearly three hundred species of spiders in this
+country, and nearly all spin and weave their silken threads in some way,
+but each in different fashions, according to their mode of life. The
+female spider is the spinner, and her supply is about 150 yards. When
+she has used that amount a few days' rest will enable her to secrete a
+similar quantity.
+
+With great pains the spider's silk has been obtained and woven into a
+delicate kind of material; but as each spider only yields one grain of
+silk, and 450 were required to produce one yard, the process was found
+to be impracticable. The insect possesses silk of two colours,
+silver-grey and yellow; one is used for the foundation-lines of the web,
+and the other for the interlacing threads. The silk is drawn by the
+spider from its four spinnerets, and issues from them in a soft, viscid
+state, but it hardens by exposure to the air. If a web is examined with
+a magnifying-glass, it will be seen that its threads are closely
+studded with minute globules of gum, which is so sticky that flies
+caught in the web are held in this kind of birdlime until the spider is
+able to spring upon them.
+
+Astronomers and microscopists make use of the strongest lines of the
+spider's web to form some of their delicate instruments. The thread is
+drawn in parallel lines at right angles across the field of the
+eye-piece at equal distances, so as to make a multitude of fine
+divisions, scarcely visible to the naked eye, and so thin as to be no
+obstacle to the view of the object. One means of classifying spiders is
+by the number of eyes they possess. These are usually two, six, or eight
+in number. The fangs with which the spider seizes its prey are hollow,
+and emit a venomous fluid into the body of the victim, which speedily
+benumbs and kills it. In Palestine and other countries a kind of spider
+is found which is entirely nocturnal in its habits, and never either
+hunts or feeds in daylight, but makes itself a little home, where it
+abides safely till sunset. It is called the trap-door spider, from the
+curious way in which it protects the entrance to its nest. It bores a
+hole in the dry earth of a bank a foot or more in depth, lines the hole
+with silk, and forms a lid, or trap-door, which secures the spider from
+all intruders. I have one of these nests in which the door is a
+wonderful piece of mechanism, quite round and flat, about as large as a
+threepenny piece, made of layers of fine earth moistened and worked
+together with silk, so that it is tough and elastic and cannot crumble.
+The hinge is made of very tough silk, and is so springy that when opened
+it closes directly with a snap. The outside is disguised with bits of
+moss, glued on so that no one can see where the door is. The only way of
+opening it is with a pin, and even then the spider will hold on inside
+with his claws, so that it is not easy to overcome his resistance.
+Amongst some insects sent to me from Los Angelos is a huge "Mygale," a
+hairy monster of very uninviting aspect. When its legs are outspread it
+measures nearly six inches across, and one can well believe the stories
+one hears of its killing small birds if it finds them on their nests. A
+gentleman living in Bermuda is said to have tamed a spider of the
+species "Mygale," and made it live upon his bed-curtain and rid him of
+the flies and mosquitoes which disturbed his nightly rest. He thus
+describes this remarkable pet: "I fed him with flies for a few days,
+until he began to find himself in very comfortable quarters, and thought
+of spinning a nest and making his home. This he did by winding himself
+round and round, combing out the silk from the spinnerets at the end of
+his body till he had made a nest as large as a wine-glass, in which he
+sat motionless until he saw a fly get inside our gauzy tent; then I
+could fancy I saw his eyes twinkle as his victim buzzed about, till,
+when it was within a yard or so of him, he took one spring and the fly
+was in his forceps, and another leap took him back to his den, where he
+soon finished the savoury morsel. Sometimes he would bound from side to
+side of the bed and seize a mosquito at every spring, resting only a
+moment on the net to swallow it. In another corner of the room was the
+nest of a female Mygale of the same species. She spun some beautiful
+little silk bags, larger than a thimble, of tough yellow silk, in each
+of which she laid more than a dozen eggs. When these hatched the young
+spiders used to live on her back until they were old enough to hunt for
+themselves. I kept my useful friend on my bed for more than a year and a
+half, when, unfortunately, a new housemaid spied his pretty brown house,
+pulled it down, and crushed under her black feet my poor companion."
+This kind of spider, or an allied species, captures large butterflies in
+the tropical woods by hanging strong silken noozes from branches of
+trees, and they have been seen to kill small birds by this method. One
+of our British spiders lives under water in a dome-like cell of silk,
+which is filled with air like a diving-bell by the spider carrying down
+successive globules of air between its legs, which it liberates under
+the dome until it is filled; and the young are hatched there.
+
+The spider, on its way through the water, never gets wet. It is hairy,
+and is enveloped in a bubble of air, in which it moves about protected
+from wet and well supplied with air to breathe. As the spider's supply
+of food is always precarious, they are able to live a long time without
+eating. One is known to have lived eighteen months corked up in a
+phial, where it could obtain no food; but though thus able to fast, the
+spider is a voracious feeder, and will eat his own kith and kin when
+hard pressed by hunger.
+
+I believe it is now thought that the spider of the Scriptures was a kind
+of spiny lizard called the Gecko. One of this species was sent to me
+from California, and lived for a few weeks, but as nothing would induce
+it to eat, to my great regret it pined and died. It was about as large
+as an ordinary full-grown toad, of a speckled grey colour, with rich
+brown markings, its head something like a lizard, with large thorny
+projections which extended all along the spine. The feet were very
+remarkable, each toe being furnished with a sucker which enabled the
+Gecko to walk with perfect ease in any position on a wall or pane of
+glass without losing its hold; and travellers say that it is a frequent
+inmate of Eastern houses, and may be seen catching flies as it creeps
+along walls and ceilings.
+
+Many kinds of spiders run with ease upon the surface of ponds and
+ditches, and one forms a kind of raft of a few dead leaves woven
+together, on which it sits and is blown by the wind hither and thither,
+and thus is enabled to prey upon various aquatic insects.
+
+The surface of grass lawns may be seen on autumnal mornings covered with
+tiny webs gemmed with dew. We may therefore estimate the immense number
+of flies captured by these traps so thickly spread over the grass, and
+see in them another proof of the adaptation of each created thing for
+its special purpose, and how wonderfully the balance of nature is
+maintained, so that one creature keeps another in check, and all work
+harmoniously together, according to the will of our great Creator.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+TAME BUTTERFLIES.
+
+
+In _The Century_, for June, 1883, Mr. Gosse described a monument, in
+which the sculptor had carved a child holding out her hand for
+butterflies to perch on. He went on to say that this was criticised as
+improbable, even by so exact an observer as the late Lord Tennyson. It
+may therefore be of some interest to record the following facts from my
+personal experience.
+
+One summer I watched the larvae of the swallow-tailed butterfly through
+their different stages, and reserved two chrysalides to develop into
+the perfect insect. In due time one of these fairy-like creatures came
+out. I placed it in a small Indian cage, made of fine threads of bamboo.
+A carpet of soft moss and a vase of flowers in the centre made a
+pleasant home for my tiny "Psyche."
+
+I found that she greatly enjoyed a repast of honey; when some was placed
+on a leaf within her reach, she would uncoil her long proboscis and draw
+up the sweet food with great apparent enjoyment.
+
+She was so tame that it became my habit, once or twice a day, to take
+her on my finger; and while I walked in the garden she would take short
+flights hither and thither, but was always content to mount upon my hand
+again. She would come on my finger of her own accord, and, if the day
+was bright, would remain there as long as I had patience to carry her,
+with her wings outspread, basking in the sunbeams, which appeared to
+convey exquisite delight to the delicate little creature.
+
+I never touched her beautiful wings. She never fluttered or showed any
+wish to escape, but lived three weeks of tranquil life in her tiny
+home; and then having, as I suppose, reached the limit of butterfly
+existence, she quietly ceased to live.
+
+On the day of her death the other butterfly emerged, and lived for the
+same length of time. Both were equally tame, but the second showed more
+intelligence, for she discovered that by folding her wings together she
+could easily walk between the slender bars of the cage; and having done
+so she would fly to a window, and remain there basking in the sun,
+folding and unfolding her wings with evident enjoyment, until I
+presented my finger, when she would immediately step upon it and be
+carried back to her cage.
+
+The tameness of these butterflies I ascribed in great measure to the
+fact of their having been hatched from chrysalides, and having therefore
+never known the sweets of liberty. I often wondered if really wild
+specimens could be won by gentle kindness and made happy in confinement,
+and one bright summer's day I resolved to try. A "Painted Lady" had been
+seen in the garden the day before, and I soon caught sight of her making
+rapid flights from one bed of flowers to another, and when resting for
+a few minutes, folding and unfolding her wings on the gravel path, I
+crept slowly up to her with a drop of honey on my finger to try and make
+friends; but my "lady" was coy, "she would and she wouldn't," and after
+letting me come within a few inches with my tempting repast, she floated
+away, out of sight, and I feared she would not be willing to give me
+another chance; however, I waited quietly, and in a few minutes she
+alighted at a little distance. I again drew near very slowly, and again
+she sailed away, but the third time she gained confidence enough to
+reach out her proboscis and taste the honey, and finally crept upon my
+finger. I very gently placed the light bamboo cage over her and brought
+her indoors; she, all the while, entranced with the sweet food, remained
+quietly on my finger, and when satisfied, crept upon a flower in the
+middle of the cage, and after a few flutterings round her cage seemed
+content and folded her delicate wings to rest. Whilst engaged in her
+capture I had observed a "Red Admiral" hovering over some dahlias, and
+thinking "Cynthia"[2] might like a companion, I tried my blandishments
+upon him. I had not much hope of success, for though a bold, fearless
+fellow, he is very wary, and his powerful wings bear him away in swift
+flight when alarmed. Many a circle did I make around that dahlia bed!
+"Admiral" always preferred the opposite side to where I stood, and
+calmly crossed over whilst I went round. At last, by long and patient
+waiting, he, too, allowed me to come near and present my seductive food
+to his notice--the wiry proboscis was uncoiled and felt about for the
+honey; once plunged into that, all volition seemed to cease, he allowed
+me to coax him upon my finger, and he, too, was safely caged; but he
+behaved very differently from "fair Cynthia." The moment his repast was
+ended he flapped with desperate force against the bars, and in a minute
+he was out and on the window-pane, fluttering to escape. The cage had to
+be secured with fine net, and he was replaced and soon quieted down.
+Twice a day these delicate little pets would come upon my hand to
+receive their sweet food, and appeared perfectly content in captivity.
+
+[Footnote 2: The former Latin name for the "Painted Lady" butterfly]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+ANT-LIONS.
+
+(MYRMELEON FORMICARIUS.)
+
+
+Many years ago a friend sent me some of these remarkable insects from
+the Riviera, and for sixteen months I fed them as regularly as possible,
+but the cold of a remarkably severe winter killed them, to my great
+disappointment, as I had hoped to be rewarded by a sight of the perfect
+insect.
+
+Ant-lions are not, I believe, found in any part of England, so I had to
+wait till I could again procure some from the south of France, where
+they are frequently met with in dry, sandy places.
+
+Early in March this year (1890) three specimens were sent me and were at
+once placed in a box of dry silver sand, where they buried themselves
+and remained quietly resting for some hours.
+
+Many of my readers may be interested to know what the ant-lion is like,
+and why I thought it worth while to take great pains to rear it. These
+young specimens were flat, grey, six-legged creatures about the size of
+a small lady-bird, covered with hairs, and possessing two strong forceps
+projecting from their heads. They are so formed that they cannot go
+forward, but move always backward by a series of jerks. As they live
+upon ants and are so strangely formed, they have to resort to stratagem
+in order to entrap their prey, and this they do by means of pits formed
+in the sand in which they live; into these pits the ants fall, and are
+seized by the forceps of the ant-lion, who lies in wait at the bottom.
+
+Many a time have I watched the formation of these pits, and will try to
+describe the process. The insect begins describing a small circle on
+the surface of the sand by jerking himself backwards and flinging the
+sand away with his flat head and closed forceps, which form a kind of
+shovel. Each circle is smaller than the last, until the pit is like an
+inverted cone, and the ant-lion lies buried at the bottom, only his
+forceps being visible. When an ant has fallen headlong down into the pit
+it makes frantic efforts to escape, and if the ant-lion sees that it is
+likely to get beyond his reach, he then with his forceps flings some
+sand at it with such unerring aim the poor victim is sure to roll over
+and over until it reaches the jaws of its captor, who feasts upon it and
+then flings the remains of the body out of the pit.
+
+One difficulty was how to ensure a supply of ants, but this was overcome
+by filling a box with part of an ants' nest, and as these insects
+settled down and seemed content with their quarters, they were ready
+when wanted, and three times a day the lions had to be fed! One learns
+to sacrifice one's feelings in the cause of science, but to the last it
+was a real distress to me to have to put the poor little ants where they
+would be devoured; but Nature is cruel, and from the real lion to his
+insect namesake, preying upon one another seems the prevailing law of
+her realm.
+
+As the ant-lions grew, the pits increased in size. At first they were
+about as large as a threepenny-piece, but ended by measuring more than
+two inches across.
+
+I could not tell whether the insect moulted its skin, as it was always
+hidden, but in July, after four months' feeding, the ant-lions changed
+into chrysalides, which looked like perfectly round balls of sand.
+
+The box was placed in a warm greenhouse, and in seven weeks' time the
+perfect insects appeared. They were like small dragon-flies, with
+slender bodies, four black-spotted gauzy wings, two large black eyes and
+short antennae.
+
+I had read about their being nocturnal insects, feeding on flies, so
+they had that diet provided for them in the glass globe in which they
+were kept, but I could never feel sure that they ate the flies, and
+fearing they would be starved I tried giving them a little sweet food, a
+drop of raspberry syrup at the end of a twig; it seemed to be the right
+thing, for they greedily sucked it in, but in spite of all my care they
+only lived four weeks; which, however, is probably the term of their
+existence.
+
+Whilst I was writing this paper a singular incident occurred. I heard a
+strange, wild note, and something brilliant dashed past me to the end of
+the room, and there, on a white marble bust sat a lovely kingfisher--a
+bird I had hardly ever seen, even at a distance, and here he had come to
+pay me a visit in my drawing-room. Would that I could have told him how
+welcome he was! but, alas! he darted about the room in wild alarm, flew
+against the looking-glasses, and though I tried to guard him from a
+plate-glass window, that has often proved fatal to birds, I was too
+late; he came with a crash against it and fell down quite dead, his neck
+being broken by the force of the blow.
+
+I had heard that a kingfisher had been seen at my lake, and hoped that
+the bird might build and become established there; it was, therefore, a
+keen regret to me that this bright visitant had met with such an
+untimely fate.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: THE ROBIN.]
+
+ROBINS I HAVE KNOWN.
+
+
+If I once begin to speak about these winning, confiding little birds, I
+shall hardly know when to stop. There can scarcely be a more delightful
+pet than a wild robin which has learnt to love you, and will come
+indoors and be your quiet companion for hours together. One can feel
+happy in the thought that he has his liberty and his natural food out of
+doors, and that he gives you his companionship freely because he likes
+to be with you, and shows that he does, by singing his sweet songs
+perched on the looking-glass or some vase of flowers.
+
+Autumn is the best time to begin taming such a little friend. When one
+of those brown-coated young birds in his first year's plumage (before
+the red feathers show) takes to haunting the window-ledge, or looks up
+inquiringly from the gravel path outside, then is the time to throw out
+a mealworm, four or five times a day, when the bird appears. He will
+soon associate you with his pleasant diet, and come nearer, and grow
+daily less fearful, until, by putting mealworms on a mat just inside the
+room, he will come in and take them, and at last learn to be quite
+content to remain. The first few times the window should be left open to
+let him retreat, for unless he feels he can come and go at will he will
+probably make a dash at a closed window, not seeing the glass, and be
+fatally injured, or else too frightened to return.
+
+Like all other taming, it must be carried on with patience.
+
+One summer, many years ago, we occupied an old-fashioned house in the
+country, where, in perfect quietude, one could make acquaintance with
+birds and study their habits and manners without interruption. From the
+veranda of a large, low-ceilinged sitting-room one looked out upon a
+garden of the olden type, full of moss-grown apple-trees, golden
+daffodils, lupines and sweet herbs, that pleasant mixture of the kitchen
+and flower garden which always seems so enjoyable. It was an ideal home
+for birds, no cat was ever visible, and from the numbers of the
+feathered folk one could believe that countless generations had been
+reared in these apple-trees and lived out their little lives in perfect
+happiness. I soon found a friend amongst the robins; one in particular
+began to pay me frequent visits as I sat at work indoors. At first he
+ventured in rather timidly, took a furtive glance and then flew away,
+but finding that crumbs were scattered for him, and while he picked them
+up a kindly voice encouraged his advances, he soon became at ease, made
+his way into the room and seemed to examine by turns, with birdish
+curiosity, all the pieces of furniture and the various ornaments on the
+mantelpiece and tables. Much to my pleasure he began to sing to me, and
+very pretty he looked, sitting amongst the flowers in a tall vase,
+warbling his charming little ditty, keeping his large black eyes fixed
+upon me as if to see if I seemed impressed by his vocal efforts.
+
+Once he stopped in the middle of his song, looked keenly at a corner of
+the ceiling, and after a swift flight there, he returned with a spider
+in his beak; one can well believe what good helpers the insect-eating
+birds must be to the gardener, by destroying countless hosts of minute
+caterpillars and grubs that would otherwise prey upon the garden
+produce. Bobbie continued his visits to me throughout the summer,
+remaining happy and content for hours at a time, pluming himself,
+singing, and at times investigating the contents of a little cupboard,
+where he sometimes discovered a cake which was much to his taste, on
+which he feasted without any leave asked, though truly it would have
+been readily given to such a pleasant little visitor. He soon showed
+such entire confidence in me that he would perch on the book I was
+reading, and alight on my lap for crumbs even when many people were in
+the room.
+
+When we had to leave this country home I wished that dear Bobbie could
+have been packed up to go elsewhere with our other possessions, but
+since this could not be, let us hope he still inhabits the old garden
+and cheers other home-dwellers with his confiding manners and morning
+and evening songs of praise.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+ROBERT THE SECOND.
+
+
+After slight intimacies with various robins who were visitors to the
+conservatory and found their way in and out at the open windows, I was
+led to special friendship with a brown-coated young bird I used often to
+see close to the open French window where I was sitting. He was coaxed
+into the room by mealworms being thrown to him until he made himself
+quite at home indoors. By the time he had attained his red breast the
+weather had become too cold for open windows, but Bobbie would sit on
+the ledge and wait till I let him in, and then he would be my happy
+little companion for the whole morning, flitting all about the room,
+along the corridor, into the hall--in fact, he was to be found all over
+the house; but when hungry he returned to me as his best friend, because
+I was the provider of his delightsome mealworms. It was always amusing
+to visitors to see me feed my small fowl! He would be on the alert to
+see where his prey was to be found, and he would hunt for it
+perseveringly if it happened to fall out of sight. He was often to be
+seen perched on the Californian mouse's cage, and I wondered what could
+be the attraction; at last I discovered that he coveted mousie's brown
+biscuits, and after that he was allowed one for his own use, kept in a
+special corner, where a cup of water was also provided for his small
+requirements.
+
+However tame wild birds may seem there will be times when all at once a
+sort of intense longing to get out seems to possess them. When this was
+the case Bobbie would fly backwards and forwards uttering his plaintive
+cry (one of the six kinds of notes by which robins express their
+feelings), and his distress was so evident that the window was always
+opened at once to let him go out.
+
+I am sorry to have to confess that robins are most vindictive towards
+each other! Bobbie maintained a very angry warfare with a hated rival
+out-of-doors, in fact his chief occupation in life seemed to be watching
+for his enemy. He might often be seen sitting under a small palm in a
+pot on the window-ledge, and whilst looking the picture of gentle
+innocence he was, I fear, cherishing envy, hatred, and malice in his
+naughty little heart, for, all at once, there would be a grand
+fluttering and pecking at the window whilst the two little furies, one
+inside and the other out, expended their strength in harmless warfare
+which only ceased when they were too exhausted to do more, and then
+followed on both sides a triumphant song of defiance or victory.
+
+I must now weave into this biography the life-history of a poor robin
+which, I suppose, must have been caught in a trap, for it had lost the
+lower mandible of its beak, and had only a little knob remaining of the
+upper mandible. It haunted the windows, and looked so hungry and
+miserable from its inability to pick up its food, that I thought it
+kindest to coax it into a cage where it could be fed with suitable food.
+By placing mealworms in a cage I at last induced it to hop in, and for
+five months it had a very happy life indoors, feeding on soaked brown
+bread and all the insect diet I could secure for it. When the cage was
+cleaned each morning Bobbie was let out, and would take a bath in a
+glass dish, and then fly to the top of the looking-glass, where he would
+often remain all day unless we were quick enough to secure his cage-door
+when he went in to feed. By the middle of May I thought caterpillars
+would be plentiful enough for him to find his own living, so one day he
+was released, but unhappily Robert the Second was close by, and the
+moment he saw the invalid in his cage on the lawn with the door open, he
+rushed in and savagely fought the poor defenceless bird. Before we could
+interfere he drove our pet out of his cage, and terrible was the battle
+that went on; the beakless bird was driven far away, and I was quite
+unhappy about his fate, for he was now beyond my loving care, and I
+never expected to see him again. Two months passed by, and I only once
+caught a glimpse of the invalid, but at last he came just as before to
+the window, looking thin and ill, with ruffled feathers, and evidently
+again at starvation point. Once more he entered his cage and began his
+old life, only now he was hung under the veranda so as to enjoy fresh
+air and the songs of his companions. For two months I endeavoured to
+keep the dear little creature happy; we were all so fond of him, and it
+seems very touching to think that in his times of extremity he should
+have come willingly into captivity and felt sure that a kind welcome
+would be accorded him. But no amount of care could bring him through the
+moulting season, the lack of a beak to plume his feathers and his great
+difficulty in picking up even the mealworms made him weak and sickly. He
+got out of his cage one day into the garden, and a few days after we
+found his poor little body lying dead close to the window where he had
+always found the help he needed, and yet we could not but be glad that
+his sorrowful little life was ended.
+
+When robins have been thus tamed for years the families they rear are
+like pet birds; they are fed by their parents close to the windows, and
+then come indoors, as if they knew they would be welcome everywhere.
+
+There is one feature in the robin's character that, as far as I know, is
+shared by no other bird; I mean his adopting a certain spot as his
+district and always keeping to it, just as the stickle-backs portion out
+a pond and jealously defend the territory they have chosen. Here, there
+is a special robin to be found at each of the lodges; one haunts the
+Mission Hall and will often sing vigorously from the reading-stand while
+classes are going on. A very tame one lives in the coachman's house,
+running about the floor like a little brown mouse, and sitting inside
+the fender on cold days to warm himself. He must have met with trouble
+in his early youth, for when first seen he was very lame, and had lost
+the sight of one eye. Through kind care he has become well and strong,
+but he is much at the mercy of his enemies, who often attack him on his
+blind side. The conservatory, dining-room, and drawing-rooms have each
+their little redbreast visitor; the latter is so tame he will take
+meal-worms from my hand, and sits on my inkstand singing a sweet, low
+song whilst I write. As long as each bird keeps to his domain there is
+peace, but woe to any intruder! The conflicts are desperate, and I have
+often to mediate, and separate two little furies rolling over and over
+on the ground. I suppose it is in this way that the idea has arisen
+about the young robins killing the old ones; I cannot ascertain that it
+has any foundation--in fact, every robin fights his neighbour all the
+year through, except when paired and busy with domestic duties. As dead
+redbreasts are not found specially in autumn, I do not think there can
+be any truth in the superstition.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+FEEDING BIRDS IN SUMMER AND WINTER.
+
+
+On wintry mornings, when leaf and twig are decked with hoar-frost and
+the ground is hard and dry, affording no food for the birds, it is a
+piteous sight to see them cowering under the evergreens with ruffled
+feathers, evidently starving and miserable, quietly waiting for the
+death that must overtake many of them unless we come to their rescue.
+
+It is one of my delights to feed the small "feathered fowls" through all
+the winter months, and I only wish all my readers could enjoy with me
+the lovely scenes of happy bird life to be witnessed through the French
+window opposite my writing-table. These gatherings of birds are the
+result of many years of persistent kindness and thought for the welfare
+of my bird pets. Their tameness cannot be attained all at once; it takes
+time to establish confidence; it needs thought about the kinds of food
+required by various species of birds, regularity in feeding, and quiet
+gentleness of manner to avoid frightening any new and timid visitors.
+Doubtless there are very many lovers of birds who share this pleasure
+with me, but for those who may not happen to know how to attract the
+feathered tribes I will go a little into detail.
+
+This being a large garden near game preserves, and surrounded by a wide,
+furze-covered common, I have been able to attract and tame the ordinary
+wild pheasants by putting out Indian corn, buckwheat, and raisins, till
+now they come to the doorstep and look up with their brilliant,
+red-ringed eyes, and feed calmly whilst I watch them. It is a really
+beautiful sight to see three or four cock birds, with their
+golden-bronze plumage glistening like polished metal as the morning sun
+rests upon them, and as many of their more sober-coloured mates
+feasting on the dainties they find prepared for them; as a rule, they
+are very amicable and feed together like barndoor fowls. When satisfied,
+the brown hens run swiftly away to cover, while the cocks, with greater
+confidence, walk quietly away in stately fashion, or remain under the
+trees.
+
+Wood-pigeons are usually very shy and wary birds, yet these also come,
+six and eight at a time, and feed at my window, Indian corn and peas
+being their specialities. I have large quantities of beech-nuts and
+acorns collected every autumn, and thus I can scatter this food also for
+pigeons and squirrels all through the winter. Jays, jackdaws, rooks, and
+magpies also approve of acorns and beech-nuts, so it is doing a real
+kindness to tribes of birds to reserve this food for them until their
+other stores are exhausted, and we can thus bring them within our view
+and study their interesting ways, their modes of feeding, and, I fear I
+must add, their squabbles also, for hungry birds are very pugnacious.
+
+Blackbirds and thrushes are very fond of Sultana raisins; they also like
+split groats and brown bread crumbs, as also do starlings and, I
+believe, most of the smaller birds. Fat in any shape or form will
+attract the various species of titmice to the window. I always keep a
+small Normandy basket full of suet and ham-fat hanging on a nail at the
+window. It is a great rendezvous for these charming little pets, and it
+is also supplied with Barcelona nuts for nuthatches, who fully
+appreciate them and carry them off to the nearest tree with rugged bark
+into which they fix the nuts, and then hammer at the shell till they can
+extract the contents.
+
+In very hard frosts I used always to put out a pan of water, as I feared
+the birds suffered from thirst and needed this help. One day, however, I
+was comforted to see some starlings, after a good meal of groats, run
+off to the grass plot and eagerly peck at the hoar-frost, which, while
+it exists, thus supplies the lack of water.
+
+Bewick says linnets are so named from their fondness for linseed, and I
+think most of the finches like it. The greenfinch is soon attracted by
+hemp seed, and all the smaller birds by canary seed. I hope this paper
+may induce many kind hands to minister to the needs of our feathered
+friends during the winter months. It is sad to think of their dying for
+lack of the food we can so easily afford them, and they will be sure to
+repay us by their sweet songs and confiding tameness when summer days
+return.
+
+One is apt to think that winter is the only time when birds need our
+help and bounty, but there is almost as much real distress after a long
+drought in summer, especially amongst the insect-eating birds.
+
+I was led to think of this by the pathetic way in which a hen blackbird
+came to the French window of my room early in June last and stood
+patiently waiting and clicking time after time in trouble of _some_ kind
+I knew, and, supposing it might be food, I threw out a plentiful supply
+of soaked brown bread. At once the poor bird went to it, devouring
+ravenously for her own needs, and then, filling her beak as full as it
+would hold, she flew off with a supply for her young brood. Then came
+thrushes, robins, sparrows, a whole bevy of feathered folk all doing the
+same thing--carrying the provisions in every direction for unseen
+families at starvation point, and I began to realize that the month of
+continued sunshine in which we had rejoiced had brought great distress
+upon the birds by drying up the lawns so that no worms could be found,
+and, as it was early in the year, but few insects were to be had, so
+that just when each pair of birds had a clamorous brood to provide for
+the food supply had fallen short. Now I understood the pathos of the hen
+blackbird's appeal; her dark eyes and note of distress were trying to
+say to me, "I know you care for us; you seemed so kind last winter; when
+we were without food you fed us and saved our lives; but now I am in far
+deeper distress--my children are crying for food, the grass is dried up,
+and the ground so hard that I cannot find a single worm, I am thin and
+worn with hunger myself; do help me and my little ones, and we will sing
+you sweet songs in return to cheer you when wintry days come back again.
+Does she understand? I've said all this several times before, but I
+thought I would make one last appeal before my children die. Yes; she
+has left the room! I will wait. Ah! here it is, just the soft food that
+will suit my little ones: how they _will_ rejoice and all want to be
+fed at once. I hope my friend can understand that I am thanking her with
+all my heart." Love has a universal language and can interpret through
+varied signs, and thus I quite believe the mother bird's heart wished to
+express itself.
+
+Ever since that day I have been careful in nesting time to supply
+suitable and varied food for the families of young birds in times of
+drought, for it seems mournful to think of their dying from want, in the
+season of flowers and green leaves, when nature is to us so attractive,
+and rendered all the more so by their sweet songs.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+RAB, MINOR.
+
+
+This familiar name recalls the delightful story of "Rab and his Friends"
+in "Horae Subsicivae," with its naive description of a very original
+"tyke" of a doggie--a biography which had so lived in my recollection
+that when a queer little fluffy dumpling of a puppy was given me I could
+not help giving it the old familiar name, little knowing how aptly true
+the name would prove to be in after years.
+
+Is there anything more comical than a young Scotch terrier puppy, with
+its preternatural gravity, its queer, ungainly attempts at play, its
+tumbles, and blue-eyed simplicity, and, best of all, its sage look, with
+head on one side, trying to consider the merits of some doggie idea
+which is puzzling his infant brain? Rab went through all the stages of
+puppyhood, showing the usual amount of mischief and fun; he might be met
+carrying about some unfortunate slipper frayed to pieces by his busy
+teeth, or burying a favourite bone under a wool mat in the drawing-room,
+or, worse still, it is recorded in domestic chronicles that he buried a
+hymn-book in the garden, whereupon the cook remarked that she believed
+he had more religion in him than half the Christians; but that reasoning
+was not apparent to any one but herself.
+
+Rab's most notable adventures took place after he had emerged from
+puppyhood. He had a most indomitable spirit of disobedience; he would
+hunt rabbits or anything else he could find in the woods, and one day he
+reached home with a snare tightly drawn round his neck, and panting
+distressingly for breath; the wire was cut only just in time to save
+his life.
+
+Another time he was poisoned by something he had eaten, and had a long
+suffering illness.
+
+His fights with other dogs were fierce and frequent, and whilst engaged
+in a scrimmage with a hated rival, Rab was run over by a passing cart,
+and limped home in a very dejected state; no bones were broken, but he
+was an invalid for some months in consequence.
+
+At last it was thought needful to tie him up, and he had his appointed
+house and a long chain, and with frequent exercise he became quite
+content. One morning our brave little friend was found nearly dead, with
+two terrible wounds in his neck, which must have been made by a sharp
+knife, driven twice through his throat, but, strangely enough, had each
+time just missed severing the wind-pipe. He had nearly died from loss of
+blood, and was scarcely able to breathe; still, our kind servants did
+not give him up; warm milk and beef tea were given him constantly
+through the day; and by night he had revived a little, and was evidently
+going to live. We could never trace the origin of this outrage, and
+could only suppose that burglars had purposed breaking into our house,
+and, enraged at Rab's barking, had at last got hold of, and, as they
+thought, killed him, and flung the body into an adjoining field. Poor
+little doggie! he suffered grievously for his brave defence, and for
+months the wounds were a great distress to him and to us; but all that
+loving care could do was done, and once more his wonderful constitution
+enabled him to regain health and strength. We kept at that time several
+very large mastiffs, and the next adventure occurred early one morning,
+when we were aroused by a terrific noise in the stable-yard, and the
+message brought to us was to the effect that Rab was quite dead. He had
+been worried by one of the mastiffs which had got loose in the night. I
+rose quickly and went to see the poor little victim's body, and looking
+at it, I saw a little quiver in the eyelid that led to a gleam of hope.
+I had him carried indoors, and again teaspoons of milk, &c., were given,
+and actually he began to revive, and a feeble wag of his tail, seemed to
+say, "I'm very bad, but not dead yet." The sad part was that the shaking
+and worrying he had received had reopened the previous wounds, and
+though after a time he was able to get about, he was quite a wreck; one
+ear was gone, and the other, strange to say, was but a fragment, like
+his namesake in "Rab and his Friends." Still, he lived to be nearly
+fifteen, and then rheumatism and loss of teeth made his life a distress
+to him, and he was peacefully dismissed to the rest he had bravely
+earned by his life of courageous devotion to what he thought the path of
+duty.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+A VISIT TO JAMRACH.
+
+
+There is an old and true saying--"Everything comes to him who waits." I
+thought of this saying while on my way to visit the well-known place
+near the London Docks where Mr. Jamrach is supposed to keep almost every
+rare animal, bird, and reptile, ready to supply the wants of all
+customers at a moment's notice. For many long years I had wished to pay
+him a visit, but ill-health and other causes had proved a hindrance and
+I could hardly believe my wish was going to be realized when I found
+myself on the way to his menagerie. After driving through a labyrinth of
+narrow, dirty streets, we were at last obliged to get out and walk till
+we came to the shop, and then we did indeed find ourselves in the midst
+of "animated nature." We had landed amongst the cockatoos, macaws, and
+parrots, and they greeted our arrival with such a chorus of shrieks,
+screams, and hideous cries that my first desire was to rush away
+anywhere out of the reach of such ear-piercing sounds. One had to bear
+it, however, if the curious creatures in the various cages were to be
+examined, and after a time the uproar grew less, and I could hear a word
+or two from Mr. Jamrach, who called my attention to some armadillos,
+huge armour-plated animals, very curious, but somehow not attractive as
+pets; one could not fondle a thing composed of metal plates, shaped like
+a pig, with a tendency to roll itself up into a ball on the slightest
+provocation, and even Mr. Jamrach's argument that if I got tired of it
+as a pet I could have it cooked, as they were excellent eating, failed
+to lead me to a purchase. There was a fine, healthy toucan, with his
+marvellous bill, looking sadly out of place in a small cage in such a
+dingy place. Did he ever think of his tropical forest home, I wondered,
+and wish himself in happier surroundings? A long wooden box with wire
+front contained rows and rows of Grass Parrakeets: many hundreds must
+have been on those perches, one behind the other, poor little patient
+birdies, sitting in solemn silence, never moving an inch, for they were
+wedged in as closely as they could sit and how they could eat and live
+seemed a mystery. As I was in quest of some small rodents I was asked to
+follow Mr. Jamrach to another place where the animals were kept. We came
+to a back yard with dens and cages containing all kinds of tenants, from
+fierce hyenas and wolves to tame deer, monkeys, cats, and dogs. A chorus
+of yelps and barks and growls sounded a little uninviting, and a caution
+from Jamrach, to mind the camel did not seize my young friend's hat,
+made us aware of a stately form gazing down upon us from a recess we had
+not before noticed. Every nook and corner seemed occupied, and in order
+to see a kangaroo rat I was invited up a rickety ladder into a loft
+where a Japanese cat, a large monkey, and sundry other creatures lived.
+I did not take to the kangaroo rat, he was too large and formidable to
+be pleasant, and was by no means tame, but to be pulled out of the cage
+by his long tail was, I confess, enough to scare the mildest quadruped.
+At length I was shown some Peruvian guinea-pigs. Wonderful little
+creatures! With hair three or four inches long, white, yellow and black,
+set on anyhow, sticking out in odd tufts, one side of their heads white
+and the other black, their eyes just like boot buttons, they _were_
+captivating; and a pair had to be chosen forthwith, and packed in a
+basket with a tortoise and a huge Egyptian lizard, and with these spoils
+I was not sorry to leave this place of varied noises and smells. The
+lizard was about fourteen inches long, a really grand creature. He came
+from the ruins of ancient Egypt, and looked in his calm stateliness as
+though he might have gazed upon the Pharaohs themselves. When placed in
+the sun for a time he would sometimes deign to move a few inches, his
+massive, grey, scaly body looking very like a young crocodile. I was
+greatly teased about my fondness for "Rameses," as I called this new and
+majestic pet; there was a great fascination about him, and as I really
+wished to know more of his ways and habits, I carried the basket in
+which he lived everywhere with me indoors and out, and studied all
+possible ways of feeding him; but alas! nothing would induce him to eat.
+After gazing for five minutes at the most tempting mealworm, he would at
+last raise up his mighty head and appear to be revolving great ideas to
+which mealworms and all sublunary things must give place. Jamrach told
+me that the lizard would drink milk, so a saucerful was placed before
+him, and once he did drink a few drops, but generally he walked into and
+over the saucer as if it did not exist.
+
+I believe the poor creature had been without food so long that it had
+lost the power of taking nourishment, and to my great regret I found it
+grew weaker and thinner, and at last it died, and all I could do was to
+send the remains to a naturalist to be preserved somewhat after the
+fashion of its great namesake.
+
+The odd little guinea-pigs were named Fluff and Jamrach, and were a
+source of much amusement. As they could not agree, and as the fights
+grew serious, Jamrach was banished to the stable and Fluff occupied a
+cage in the dining-room. When let out it was curious to see how he would
+always keep close to the sides of the room--never would he venture into
+the middle, the protection of the skirting board seemed indispensable,
+and when let out under the tulip-tree he ran round the trunk in the same
+way, only occasionally making an excursion to the edge of the branches
+which rested on the ground, the space beyond was a _terra incognita_
+which could not be explored by the timid little beastie.
+
+There the two little guinea-pigs enjoyed a happy life on fine days and
+grew to be friends at last, grunting little confidences one to the other
+and going to sleep side by side. They had to be watched and their
+liberty a good deal curtailed when we found a weasel began to appear
+upon the scene, and as it is proverbially difficult to catch a weasel
+either awake or asleep, he has not at present been captured. I much fear
+if he ever attacked the little Peruvians they would stand a poor chance
+of their lives, for they have no idea of self-defence and would fall an
+easy prey to such a fierce, relentless persecutor. Perhaps the gardener
+may devise some way of trapping the wary little creature, so that my
+little friends may dwell in peace under the shady tree.
+
+As the winter came on the cold prevented Fluff going out-of-doors, and
+he led a most inactive life. I don't think he ever had more than two
+ideas in his little brain--he just lived to eat and sleep, and was about
+as interesting as a stuffed animal would have been. He is the only
+instance of any animal I have ever known who seemed to be literally
+without a single habit, apparently without affection, without a temper
+good or bad, with no wishes or desires except to be let alone to doze
+away his aimless life.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+HOW TO OBSERVE NATURE
+
+
+There is all the difference between taking a walk simply for exercise,
+for some special errand, or to enjoy conversation with one's friends,
+and the sort of quiet observant stroll I am going to ask my kind readers
+to take with me to-day.
+
+This beautiful world is full of wonders of every kind, full of evidences
+of the Great Creator's wisdom and skill in adapting each created thing
+to its special purpose. The whole realm of nature is meant, I believe,
+to _speak to us_, to teach us lessons in parables--to lead our hearts
+upward to God who made us and fitted us also for our special place in
+creation.
+
+In the nineteenth Psalm David speaks of the two great books God has
+given us for our instruction. In the first six verses he speaks of the
+teachings of the book of nature and the rest of the Psalm deals with the
+written Word of God.
+
+We acknowledge and read the Scriptures as the book which reveals the
+will of God and His wondrous works for the welfare of mankind, but how
+many fail to give any time or thought to reading the book of nature!
+Thousands may travel and admire beautiful scenery, and derive a certain
+amount of pleasure from nature, just glancing at each object, but really
+observing nothing, and thus failing to learn any of the lessons this
+world's beauty is intended to teach, they might almost as well have
+stayed at home save for the benefit of fresh air and change of scene.
+The habit of minute and careful observation is seldom taught in
+childhood, and is not very likely to be gained in later life when the
+mind is filled with other things. Yet if natural objects are presented
+attractively to the young, how quickly they are interested! Question
+after question is asked, and unconsciously a vast amount of information
+may be conveyed to an intelligent child's mind by a simple, happy little
+chat about some bird or insect. This is _admirably_ shown in a chapter
+on Education in the Life of Mrs. Sewell. I would strongly urge every
+mother to read and follow the advice there given.
+
+We will now start for our garden walk. We have not taken many steps
+before we are led to pause and inquire why there should be little
+patches of grey-looking mud in the small angles of the brickwork of the
+house. Opening one of the patches with a penknife we find a hollow cell,
+and in it some green caterpillars just alive but not able to crawl. Now
+I see that the cell is the work of one of the solitary mason wasps; she
+brings the material, forms the cell, and when nearly finished lays her
+egg at the bottom and provides these half-killed caterpillars as food
+for the young grub when it is hatched, and by the time they are eaten
+the grub becomes a pupa and then hatches into a young wasp to begin life
+on its own account. One day I saw a bee go into a hole in the brickwork
+of the house, and getting my net I waited to capture it; after about
+five minutes the bee came out and flew into the net. It proved to be a
+solitary mason bee, and was doubtless forming a place to lay its egg,
+only, unlike the wasp, she would give the young grub pollen from the
+stamens of flowers to feed upon instead of green caterpillars. I
+remember seeing a mass of clay which had been formed into a wasp's nest
+by one of the solitary species, under the flap of a pembroke table in an
+unused room. A maid in dusting lifted up the flap, and down fell a
+quantity of fine, dry mud with young grubs in it which would soon have
+hatched into wasps, and revealed their rather strange nesting-place. I
+have in my collection a very interesting hornet's nest, which was being
+constructed in the hollow of an old tree. I happened to notice a hornet
+fly into the opening, and, looking in, there was a small beginning of a
+nest. It hung from a kind of stalk and consisted of only eight cells,
+each having an egg at the bottom. I captured the two hornets, and though
+I watched for a long time no others ever came, so I imagine they were
+the founders of what would have been a colony in due time.
+
+But we have been kept a long time engaged with these mason wasps. Let us
+start for our walk. As we take our way through the garden we cannot help
+noticing the happy songs of the different birds, all in full activity
+preparing their nests, carolling to their mates or seeking food for the
+little ones. There is a loud tapping noise as we pass an old fir-tree,
+but no bird is to be seen, so we go round to the other side and trace
+the noise to a small hole near which a quantity of congealed turpentine
+shows that the bark has been pierced by a woodpecker and the sap is
+oozing out. I rap outside the hole and in a minute the grey head of a
+nuthatch appears. He is evidently chiselling out a "highly desirable
+residence" for his summer quarters in this cosy nook, and the hole being
+so small he will not need to get clay to reduce the size of the opening
+and plaster in his mate, which is said to be the curious habit of this
+bird. Do you see that hole about forty feet up the stem of the beech
+opposite? A nuthatch built there six years ago; I often watched him
+going in and out, and heard his peculiar cry as he brought food for his
+mate and her young ones. Next year that lodging was taken by a
+starling, who reared a brood there. The year after the nuthatch had it,
+and then a jackdaw built there; and each year I always feel interested
+to see who the lodgers are going to be.
+
+When I was rearing the wild ducks already described, a weasel used often
+to be prowling near the coop, and when frightened retreated in this
+direction. It happened one day I was walking softly on the grass and saw
+the weasel playing and frisking at the root of that young tree; one
+seldom has such an opportunity of seeing it, for it is very shy and has
+wonderfully quick hearing. It was seeking about in the grass, leaping
+here and there, snuffing the wind, with its snake-like, wicked-looking
+head raised to see over the grass stems, and thus at last it caught
+sight of me, and in a second it darted into the hole you see there, and
+I thus learnt where he lived, but I have not been able to trace his
+history any further at present.
+
+Did you see that snake? We have many of them on the common, and they
+often cross my path in the garden. Happily there are not many of the
+venomous kind: they are smaller than this one, and have a V-shaped mark
+on the head. One day in August I was sitting by the open French window
+in the drawing-room when one of these harmless snakes came close to me,
+looked up at me, putting its quivering little tongue in and out. I
+suppose it decided that I could be trusted, for it glided in and coiled
+itself round upon my dress skirt and seemed to go to sleep. I let it
+stay a good while, but fearing some one might be frightened at seeing it
+there, I reached my parasol and with the hooked handle softly took up
+the snake and laid it on the grass-plat outside thinking it would go
+away--but no, it only turned round and came back and coiled itself up in
+the same place. I found it did not mind being touched, so I stroked it
+and made it creep all its length through my hand--not a very pleasant
+sensation, but a curious experience rarely to be met with. When the
+cold, clammy creature had passed out of my hand it threw out a most
+disgusting odour, of which I had often read. I imagine it was offended
+at my touching it and did this in self-defence. I had at last to carry
+it a long distance to ensure it should not return to the room again.
+
+Some years ago I was witness to the mode in which a snake pursues its
+victim. A large frog leaped upon the gravel walk before the windows,
+crying piteously like a child and taking rapid leaps; a moment after a
+large snake appeared swiftly pursuing the frog. At last it reached it,
+and gave it a bite which broke its back, and then, being alarmed, it
+darted away amongst some rock-work, leaving the frog in a dying state.
+
+This bank we are passing is a favourite winter retreat for female humble
+bees. Early in the autumn they begin to scoop out a little tunnel in
+this grassy slope, and when it is deep enough to protect them from the
+frost they retire into it, and pushing up the earth behind them close up
+the entrance of the hole, and there lie dormant until the warmth of
+spring tempts them to come out. Then they may be found in great numbers
+on the early sallow, and other tree-blossoms, recruiting their strength,
+while they seek a place in some hedge-bank wherein to found a new
+colony.
+
+The Carder bee forms its nest on the ground and makes a roof of
+interwoven moss, from which it takes its name. I once gathered the moss
+from such a nest by chance and saw the little mass of cells with honey
+in them. I went away, meaning to examine it more closely on my return,
+but a crow in the apple-tree overhead chanced to spy the nest and made
+off with it in his beak before I could rescue the honey store of the
+poor little bees I had so unwittingly injured.
+
+That old tree-stump is being gradually carried away by wasps. The wood
+is just sufficiently decayed to afford the material of which they make
+their nests. You see there are several wasps busily rasping pieces of
+the rotten wood into convenient-sized morsels, which they can carry to
+the nest, there to be masticated into the papery layers of which the
+outer walls of the nest are formed. This walk used to have a row of
+grand old silver firs of great height, but each winter some of them have
+been blown down till only a few are left.
+
+Some years since I noticed at the root of one of them a pile of fine
+sawdust more than a foot high, and found that some wood wasps were
+busily engaged in excavating the interior of the tree and forming
+tunnels in which to lay their eggs. I watched them for half an hour and
+found that every half-minute a wasp went in at the aperture carrying a
+blue-bottle or some kind of fly in its mandibles. Next day I took a
+friend to see the wasps, and while watching them the wind caused the
+immense tree-stem to sway to and fro from its base as if in the act of
+falling, and on examination we found it was only held in its place by a
+small portion of root, and though the branches were green, it must have
+been hollow and dead inside, which appears to be the way in which silver
+firs decay, and the wasps had found it out and made a delightful home in
+the rotten wood. With some difficulty the great tree was safely taken
+down, and then it was a most curious sight to see the endless chambers
+and galleries made in the stem, all tenanted by young wasp-grubs and
+half-dead flies; and all the summer they were being hatched in countless
+numbers. The view over our common is lovely from this point; it is
+golden with rich yellow gorse, giving cover to innumerable rabbits,
+which find their way into our garden in spite of wire fences and all
+that the gardener can do to keep them out. One clever little mother
+rabbit made her burrow deep down in a heap of sawdust close to the
+stable. My coachman put his arm down to the bottom of the hole and
+brought out a little grey furred creature, kicking and screaming with
+wonderful vigour in spite of its tender years. The nest was allowed to
+remain, and in a few days the mother removed her brood to a hole at the
+root of a bushy stone-pine, where the little ones frisked in and out and
+looked so pretty that I was won over to allow them to stay, and, by
+netting round the tree, we formed a miniature warren for the young
+family; but I fear that in course of time we may bitterly repent this
+step, and the numbers may increase to such an extent that pinks and
+lobelia may become things of the past and the rabbit warren may have to
+be abolished.
+
+A fox is sometimes seen and hunted in these parts. One surprised me by
+leaping upon the window-sill and looking into the drawing-room. At first
+I could not think what it was. It had been dug out of its hole; its fur
+was muddy and torn, its eyes piteous in their expression, and when it
+ran slowly on I saw it was very lame. I ran to the window to let it in,
+but though it leaped up to each window in succession, they all happened
+to be shut, and I was quite grieved to think the poor, weary creature
+could find no shelter. I am no admirer of field-sports. I think they
+give rise to the utmost cruelty to the creatures hunted and shot, to the
+horses and dogs employed; and to witness torture inflicted on
+unoffending animals cannot but have a debasing effect on the human mind.
+When once any one has seen the anguish of a deer, a fox, or hare, at the
+end of the race, there can be no question about the cruelty of the
+proceeding, and to one who loves every created thing as I do, it gives
+the keenest pain to know how much suffering of this kind goes on during
+the hunting season.[3]
+
+[Footnote 3: I cannot resist quoting and strongly endorsing the
+following lament by Mr. H. Stacy Marks, R.A., as to the way in which
+birds are too frequently treated by the public at large: "Many people
+regarding birds in but three aspects--as things to be either eaten,
+shot, or worn.... No natural history of a bird is complete without
+recording where the last specimen was shot; and should a rare bird visit
+our shores, the hospitality which we accord to the foreign refugee is
+denied, and it is bound to be the victim of powder and shot. The fashion
+of wearing birds or their plumage as part of ladies' attire, threatens
+to exterminate many beautiful species, such as the humming-birds of
+South America, the glossy starlings of Africa, and the glorious Impeyan
+pheasant of the Himalayas, with many other species."]
+
+There goes a cuckoo, with quite a flight of small birds pursuing him
+wherever he goes.
+
+Small birds seem to have an intense hatred of jays and cuckoos, and will
+often fly at them in the nesting season, giving them no peace till they
+drive them out of the garden, knowing full well that their own broods
+are often devoured by the jay, and that the cuckoo has designs upon the
+nests.
+
+Although we are some distance from home, I can show you one of my own
+bees on this furze blossom. I have a hive of Swiss, or Ligurian bees,
+which are said to be in some respects superior to the English species.
+The honey is of excellent flavour, and the first year I had far more
+honey from the Ligurian hive. I do not think any other hives of
+Ligurians are kept within five miles, and, as you see, they have a band
+of bright yellow on the abdomen. I can always tell my own bees when I
+meet with them in my walks on the common or in the lanes. I had a rather
+trying adventure with these bees last May. One Sunday evening we were
+just starting for church, about half-past six, when my little niece ran
+in exclaiming that there was a great bunch of bees hanging on a branch
+near the hives. I knew what had happened--my very irreverent bees had
+swarmed on this quiet Sunday evening, and they must be hived if
+possible.
+
+My bonnet was soon off and the bee-dress put on, and in five minutes the
+bees were secured and settled into a hive. We went to church and were
+not even late, but--during the first prayer I heard ominous sounds of a
+furious bee under my dress; it was, fortunately, a partly transparent
+material, and glancing furtively about I saw my little friend under the
+skirt going up and down with an angry biz-z-z. Only the pocket-hole
+could release him, so I held that safely in my hand all through the
+service, lest the congregation might suffer the wrath of a furious bee,
+which in truth is no light matter, for in blind fury it will rush at the
+first person it meets and leave its sting in the face or hand. Happily I
+succeeded in bringing the bee home again, and resolved to avoid hiving
+swarms before church-time in future.
+
+You see under the drooping boughs of the fir-tree yonder an old stone
+basin, well known to all the birds in the neighbourhood, for there they
+always find a supply of fresh water and food of various kinds to suit
+all tastes. As it is opposite the dining-room window, it is very
+interesting to see a tame jay and sundry squirrels enjoying the acorns
+which were collected for them last autumn and stored up so as to keep
+the basin well supplied all through the winter and spring, until other
+food should be plentiful. Finches, robins, and sparrows find wheat and
+crumbs to their taste, and take their daily bath not without some
+squabbling as to who shall have it first--a difficulty which is
+sometimes settled by a portly blackbird appearing on the scene and
+scattering the smaller folk, whilst he takes his early tubbing and sends
+up showers of spray in the process. Very pretty are the scenes on that
+same stone basin when in early summer a mother bird brings her little
+tribe of downy, chirping babes, and feeds each little gaping mouth with
+some suitable morsels from the store she finds there.
+
+A sheaf of corn in winter is also a great boon to the starved-out
+birdies, when snow has long deprived them of their natural food, and the
+water supply has to be often renewed on freezing days, for many a bird
+dies in winter from lack of water, all its usual supplies being frozen.
+The tameness of birds in severe weather is a touching sign of their
+distress, and a mute appeal to us to help them.
+
+          "The fowls of heaven
+          Tam'd by the cruel season, crowd around
+          The winnowing store, and claim the little boon
+          Which Providence assigns them."
+
+It is pleasant to think that they seldom appeal in vain. "Crumbs for the
+birds" are scattered by kindly little hands everywhere in winter, and in
+many a house a pet sonsie little robin is a cherished visitor, always
+welcome to his small share of the good things of this life.
+
+Our ramble might be indefinitely prolonged and still be full of interest
+and instruction, but in these simple remarks enough has been shown, I
+trust, to lead many to _think_ and _observe_ closely every, even the
+minutest, thing that catches their attention whilst out for a ramble in
+lanes and fields, even a microscopic moss upon an old wall has been
+suggestive of many lovely thoughts, with which I will conclude our
+ramble and this chapter.
+
+   "It was not all a tale of eld,
+    That fairies, who their revels held
+    By moonlight, in the greenwood shade
+    Their beakers of the moss-cups made.
+    The wondrous light which science burns
+    Reveals those lovely jewelled urns!
+    Fair lace-work spreads from roughest stems
+    And shows each tuft a mine of gems.
+        Voices from the silent sod,
+        Speaking of the Perfect God.
+
+    Fringeless, or fringed, and fringed again,
+    No single leaflet formed in vain;
+    What wealth of heavenly wisdom lies
+    Within one moss-cup's mysteries!
+    And few may know what silvery net,
+    Down in its mimic depths is set
+    To catch the rarest dews that fall
+    Upon the dry and barren wall.
+        Voices from the silent sod,
+        Speaking of the Perfect God."
+
+                                     L. N. R.
+
+
+[Illustration: End]
+
+  BOOKS FOR
+  RECREATION
+  AND STUDY
+
+[Illustration]
+
+                           PUBLISHED BY
+                           T. FISHER UNWIN,
+                           11, PATERNOSTER
+                           BUILDINGS, LONDON,
+                           E.C. ....
+
+
+SIX-SHILLING NOVELS
+
+_In uniform green cloth, large crown 8vo., gilt tops_, 6s.
+
+
+EFFIE HETHERINGTON. By ROBERT BUCHANAN. Second Edition.
+
+AN OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS. By JOSEPH CONRAD. Second Edition.
+
+ALMAYER'S FOLLY. By JOSEPH CONRAD. Second Edition.
+
+THE EBBING OF THE TIDE. By LOUIS BECKE. Second Edition.
+
+A FIRST FLEET FAMILY. By LOUIS BECKE and WALTER JEFFERY.
+
+PADDY'S WOMAN, and Other Stories. By HUMPHREY JAMES.
+
+CLARA HOPGOOD. By MARK RUTHERFORD. Second Edition.
+
+THE TALES OF JOHN OLIVER HOBBES. Portrait of the Author. Second Edition.
+
+THE STICKIT MINISTER By S. R. CROCKETT. Eleventh Edition.
+
+THE LILAC SUNBONNET By S. R. CROCKETT. Sixth Edition.
+
+THE RAIDERS. By S. R. CROCKETT. Eighth Edition.
+
+THE GREY MAN. By S. R. CROCKETT.
+
+IN A MAN'S MIND. By J. R. WATSON.
+
+A DAUGHTER OF THE FEN. By J. T. BEALBY. Second Edition.
+
+THE HERB-MOON. By JOHN OLIVER HOBBES. Third Edition.
+
+NANCY NOON. By BENJAMIN SWIFT. Second Edition. With New Preface.
+
+MR. MAGNUS. By F. REGINALD STATHAM. Second Edition.
+
+TROOPER PETER HALKET OF MASHONALAND. By OLIVE SCHREINER. Frontispiece.
+
+PACIFIC TALES. By LOUIS BECKE. With Frontispiece Portrait of the Author.
+Second Edition.
+
+MRS. KEITH'S CRIME. By Mrs. W. K. CLIFFORD. Sixth Edition. With Portrait
+of Mrs. Keith by the Hon. JOHN COLLIER, and a New Preface by the Author.
+
+HUGH WYNNE. By Dr. S. WEIR MITCHELL. With Frontispiece Illustration.
+
+THE TORMENTOR. By BENJAMIN SWIFT, Author of "Nancy Noon."
+
+PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE. By AMELIA E. BARR, Author of "Jan Vedder's
+Wife." With 12 Illustrations.
+
+THE GODS, SOME MORTALS AND LORD WICKENHAM. New Edition. By JOHN OLIVER
+HOBBES.
+
+THE OUTLAWS OF THE MARCHES. By Lord ERNEST HAMILTON. Fully illustrated.
+
+THE SCHOOL FOR SAINTS: Part of the History of the Right Honourable
+Robert Orange, M.P. By JOHN OLIVER HOBBES, Author of "Sinner's Comedy,"
+"Some Emotions and a Moral," "The Herb Moon," &c.
+
+THE PEOPLE OF CLOPTON. By GEORGE BARTRAM.
+
+
+  EFFIE HETHERINGTON
+        BY
+  ROBERT BUCHANAN
+
+_Second Edition. Crown 8vo., cloth,_ 6s.
+
+
+"Mr. Robert Buchanan has written several novels ... but among those
+which we know, there is not one so nearly redeemed by its ability and
+interest.... The girl is simply odious; but Mr. Buchanan is a poet--it
+would seem sometimes _malgre lui_, in this instance it is _quand
+meme_--and he dowers the worthless Effie with a rugged,
+half-misanthropic, steadfast lover, whose love, never rewarded, is
+proved by as great a sacrifice as fact or fiction has ever known, and
+who is almost as striking a figure as Heathcliff in 'Wuthering
+Heights.'"--_World_.
+
+
+  WORKS BY JOSEPH CONRAD
+
+I.
+
+AN OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS
+
+_Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+     "Subject to the qualifications thus disposed of (_vide_ first part
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+     was one of the finest that was published in 1895.... Surely this is
+     real romance--the romance that is real. Space forbids anything but
+     the merest recapitulation of the other living realities of Mr.
+     Conrad's invention--of Lingard, of the inimitable Almayer, the
+     one-eyed Babalatchi, the Naturalist, of the pious Abdulla--all
+     novel, all authentic. Enough has been written to show Mr. Conrad's
+     quality. He imagines his scenes and their sequence like a master;
+     he knows his individualities and their hearts; he has a new and
+     wonderful field in this East Indian Novel of his.... Greatness is
+     deliberately written; the present writer has read and re-read his
+     two books, and after putting this review aside for some days to
+     consider the discretion of it, the word still stands."--_Saturday
+     Review._
+
+
+II.
+
+ALMAYER'S FOLLY
+
+_Second Edition. Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+"THIS STARTLING, UNIQUE, SPLENDID BOOK."
+                   MR. T. P. O'CONNOR, M.P.
+
+     "This is a decidedly powerful story of an uncommon type, and breaks
+     fresh ground in fiction.... All the leading characters in the
+     book--Almayer, his wife, his daughter, and Dain, the daughter's
+     native lover--are well drawn, and the parting between father and
+     daughter has a pathetic naturalness about it, unspoiled by
+     straining after effect. There are, too, some admirably graphic
+     passages in the book. The approach of a monsoon is most effectively
+     described.... The name of Mr. Joseph Conrad is new to us, but it
+     appears to us as if he might become the Kipling of the Malay
+     Archipelago."--_Spectator._
+
+
+  THE EBBING OF THE
+  TIDE                  BY
+                    LOUIS BECKE
+             Author of "By Reef and Palm"
+
+_Second Edition. Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+     "Mr. Louis Becke wields a powerful pen, with the additional
+     advantage that he waves it in unfrequented places, and summons up
+     with it the elemental passions of human nature.... It will be seen
+     that Mr. Becke is somewhat of the fleshly school, but with a pathos
+     and power not given to the ordinary professors of that school....
+     Altogether for those who like stirring stories cast in strange
+     scenes, this is a book to be read."--_National Observer._
+
+
+  PACIFIC TALES
+             BY
+         LOUIS BECKE
+With a Portrait of the Author
+
+_Second Edition. Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+     "The appearance of a new book by Mr. Becke has become an event of
+     note--and very justly. No living author, if we except Mr. Kipling,
+     has so amazing a command of that unhackneyed vitality of phrase
+     that most people call by the name of realism. Whether it is scenery
+     or character or incident that he wishes to depict, the touch is
+     ever so dramatic and vivid that the reader is conscious of a
+     picture and impression that has no parallel save in the records of
+     actual sight and memory."--_Westminster Gazette._
+
+     "Another series of sketches of island life in the South Seas, not
+     inferior to those contained in 'By Reef and Palm.'"--_Speaker._
+
+     "The book is well worth reading. The author knows what he is
+     talking about and has a keen eye for the picturesque."--G. B.
+     BURGIN in _To-day_.
+
+     "A notable contribution to the romance of the South Seas."
+
+     T. P. O'CONNOR, M.P., in _The Graphic_.
+
+
+  PADDY'S WOMAN
+             BY
+       HUMPHREY JAMES
+
+_Crown 8vo._, 6s.
+
+"Traits of the Celt of humble circumstances are copied with keen
+appreciation and unsparing accuracy." _Scotsman._
+
+"... They are full of indescribable charm and pathos."--_Bradford
+Observer._
+
+"The outstanding merit of this series of stories is that they are
+absolutely true to life ... the photographic accuracy and minuteness
+displayed are really marvellous."
+
+_Aberdeen Free Press._
+
+"'Paddy's Woman and Other Stories' by Humphrey James; a volume written
+in the familiar diction of the Ulster people themselves, with PERFECT
+REALISM AND VERY REMARKABLE ABILITY.... FOR GENUINE HUMAN NATURE AND
+HUMAN RELATIONS, AND HUMOUR OF AN INDESCRIBABLE KIND, WE ARE UNABLE TO
+CITE A RIVAL TO THIS VOLUME."
+
+_The World._
+
+"For a fine subtle piece of humour we are inclined to think that 'A
+GLASS OF WHISKY' takes a lot of beating.... In short Mr. Humphrey James
+has given us a delightful book, and one which does as much credit to his
+heart as to his head. We shall look forward with a keen anticipation to
+the next 'writings' by this shrewd, 'cliver,' and compassionate young
+author."--_Bookselling._
+
+
+  CLARA HOPGOOD
+             BY
+       MARK RUTHERFORD
+        _EDITED_ BY
+       REUBEN SHAPCOTT
+
+_Second Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+(_The Third and Cheaper Edition is now ready, Crown 8vo.,
+         cloth_, 3s. 6d.)
+
+"The writer who goes by the name of Mark Rutherford is not the most
+popular novelist of his time by any means. There are writers with names
+which that recluse genius has never heard of, probably, whose stories
+give palpitations to thousands of gentle souls, while his own are
+quietly read by no more than as many hundreds. Yet his publisher never
+announces a new story by the Author of 'Mark Rutherford's
+Autobiography,' and 'The Revolution in Tanner's Lane,'--which we believe
+to be one of the most remarkable bits of writing that these times can
+boast of--without strongly exciting the interest of many who know books
+as precious stones are known in Hatton Garden.... 'Clara Hopgood' is
+entirely out of the way of all existing schools of novel-writing.... Had
+we to select a good illustration of 'Mark's way' as distinguished from
+the way of modern storytellers in general, we should point to the
+chapter in which Baruch visits his son Benjamin in this narration.
+Nothing could be more simple, nothing more perfect."--_Pall Mall
+Gazette._
+
+
+  A FIRST FLEET FAMILY
+  BEING A HITHERTO
+  UNPUBLISHED NARRATIVE
+  OF CERTAIN REMARKABLE
+  ADVENTURES COMPILED
+  FROM THE PAPERS OF
+  SERGEANT WILLIAM
+  DEW, OF THE MARINES
+
+             BY
+LOUIS BECKE and WALTER JEFFERY
+
+_Second Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"As convincingly real and vivid as a narrative can be."--_Sketch._
+
+"No maker of plots could work out a better story of its kind, nor
+balance it more neatly."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+"A book which describes a set of characters varied and so attractive as
+the more prominent figures in this romance and a book so full of life,
+vicissitude, and peril, should be welcomed by every discreet novel
+reader."--_Yorkshire Post._
+
+"A very interesting tale, written in clear and vigorous
+English."--_Globe._
+
+"The novel is a happy blend of truth and fiction, with a purpose that
+will be appreciated by many readers; it has also the most exciting
+elements of the tale of adventure."
+
+_Morning Post._
+
+
+  THE TALES OF JOHN
+  OLIVER HOBBES
+
+With a Frontispiece Portrait of the Author
+
+_Second Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"The cleverness of them all is extraordinary."--_Guardian._
+
+"The volume proves how little and how great a thing it is to write a
+'Pseudonym.' Four whole 'Pseudonyms' ... are easily contained within its
+not extravagant limits, and these four little books have given John
+Oliver Hobbes a recognized position as a master of epigram and narrative
+comedy."--_St. James's Gazette._
+
+"As her star has been sudden in its rise so may it stay long with us!
+Some day she may give us something better than these tingling, pulsing,
+mocking, epigrammatic morsels."--_Times._
+
+"There are several literary ladies, of recent origin, who have tried to
+come up to the society ideal; but John Oliver Hobbes is by far the best
+writer of them all, by far the most capable artist in fiction.... She is
+clever enough for anything."--_Saturday Review._
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+  THE HERB MOON
+             BY
+     JOHN OLIVER HOBBES
+
+_Third Edition, Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"The jaded reader who needs sauce for his literary appetite cannot do
+better than buy 'The Herb Moon.'"--_Literary World._
+
+"A book to hail with more than common pleasure. The epigrammatic
+quality, the power of rapid analysis and brilliant presentation are
+there, and added to these a less definable quality, only to be described
+as charm.... 'The Herb Moon' is as clever as most of its predecessors,
+and far less artificial."--_Athenaeum._
+
+
+  THE STICKIT MINISTER
+  AND SOME COMMON
+  MEN
+             BY
+       S. R. CROCKETT
+
+_Eleventh Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"Here is one of the books which are at present coming singly and at long
+intervals, like early swallows, to herald, it is to be hoped, a larger
+flight. When the larger flight appears, the winter of our discontent
+will have passed, and we shall be able to boast that the short story can
+make a home east as well as west of the Atlantic. There is plenty of
+human nature--of the Scottish variety, which is a very good variety--in
+'The Stickit Minister' and its companion stories; plenty of humour, too,
+of that dry, pawky kind which is a monopoly of 'Caledonia, stern and
+wild'; and, most plentiful of all, a quiet perception and reticent
+rendering of that underlying pathos of life which is to be discovered,
+not in Scotland alone, but everywhere that a man is found who can see
+with the heart and the imagination as well as the brain. Mr. Crockett
+has given us a book that is not merely good, it is what his countrymen
+would call 'by-ordinar' good,' which, being interpreted into a tongue
+understanded of the southern herd, means that it is excellent, with a
+somewhat exceptional kind of excellence."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+  THE LILAC SUN-BONNET
+             BY
+       S. R. CROCKETT
+
+_Sixth Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"Mr. Crockett's 'Lilac Sun-Bonnet' 'needs no bush.' Here is a pretty
+love tale, and the landscape and rural descriptions carry the exile back
+into the Kingdom of Galloway. Here, indeed, is the scent of bog-myrtle
+and peat. After inquiries among the fair, I learn that of all romances,
+they best love, not 'sociology,' not 'theology,' still less, open
+manslaughter, for a motive, but, just love's young dream, chapter after
+chapter. From Mr. Crockett they get what they want, 'hot with,' as
+Thackeray admits that he liked it."
+
+Mr. ANDREW LANG in _Longman's Magazine_.
+
+
+  THE RAIDERS
+             BY
+       S. R. CROCKETT
+
+_Eighth Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"A thoroughly enjoyable novel, full of fresh, original, and accurate
+pictures of life long gone by."--_Daily News._
+
+"A strikingly realistic romance."--_Morning Post._
+
+"A stirring story.... Mr. Crockett's style is charming. My Baronite
+never knew how musical and picturesque is Scottish-English till he read
+this book."--_Punch._
+
+"The youngsters have their Stevenson, their Barrie, and now a third
+writer has entered the circle, S. R. Crockett, with a lively and jolly
+book of adventures, which the paterfamilias pretends to buy for his
+eldest son, but reads greedily himself and won't let go till he has
+turned over the last page.... Out of such historical elements and
+numberless local traditions the author has put together an exciting tale
+of adventures on land and sea." _Frankfurter Zeitung._
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_SOME SCOTCH NOTICES._
+
+"Galloway folk should be proud to rank 'The Raiders' among the classics
+of the district."--_Scotsman._
+
+"Mr. Crockett's 'The Raiders' is one of the great literary successes of
+the season."--_Dundee Advertiser._
+
+"Mr. Crockett has achieved the distinction of having produced the book
+of the season."--_Dumfries and Galloway Standard._
+
+"The story told in it is, as a story, nearly perfect." _Aberdeen Daily
+Free Press._
+
+"'The Raiders' is one of the most brilliant efforts of recent
+fiction."--_Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser._
+
+
+  THE GREY MAN
+             BY
+       S. R. CROCKETT
+
+_Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+ _Also, an Edition de Luxe, with 26 Drawings by_
+SEYMOUR LUCAS, R.A., _limited to 250 copies, signed
+    by Author. Crown 4to., cloth gilt_, 21s. _net_.
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"It has nearly all the qualities which go to make a book of the
+first-class. Before you have read twenty pages you know that you are
+reading a classic."--_Literary World._
+
+"All of that vast and increasing host of readers who prefer the novel of
+action to any other form of fiction should, nay, indeed, must, make a
+point of reading this exceedingly fine example of its class."--_Daily
+Chronicle._
+
+"With such passages as these [referring to quotations], glowing with
+tender passion, or murky with horror, even the most insatiate lover of
+romance may feel that Mr. Crockett has given him good measure, well
+pressed down and running over."--_Daily Telegraph._
+
+
+  A DAUGHTER OF THE
+  FEN
+             BY
+       S. R. CROCKETT
+
+_Second Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"It will deserve notice at the hands of such as are interested in the
+ways and manner of living of a curious race that has ceased to be."
+_Daily Chronicle._
+
+"For a first book 'A Daughter of the Fen' is full of
+promise."--_Academy._
+
+"This book deserves to be read for its extremely interesting account of
+life in the Fens and for its splendid character study of Mme.
+Dykereave." _Star._
+
+"Deserves high praise."--_Scotsman._
+
+"It is an able, interesting ... an exciting book, and is well worth
+reading. And when once taken up it will be difficult to lay it down."
+_Westminster Gazette._
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+  IN A MAN'S MIND
+             BY
+      JOHN REAY WATSON
+
+_Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"We regard the book as well worth the effort of reading."--_British
+Review._
+
+"The book is clever, very clever."--_Dundee Advertiser._
+
+"The power and pathos of the book are undeniable."--_Liverpool Post._
+
+"It is a book of some promise."--_Newsagent._
+
+"Mr. Watson has hardly a rival among Australian writers, past or
+present. There is real power in the book--power of insight, power of
+reflection, power of analysis, power of presentation.... 'Tis a very
+well made book--not a set of independent episodes strung on the thread
+of a name or two, but closely interwoven to the climax." _Sydney
+Bulletin._
+
+"There is behind it all a power of drawing human nature that in time
+arrests the attention."--_Athenaeum._
+
+
+  NANCY NOON
+             BY
+       BENJAMIN SWIFT
+
+_Second Edition._ _Cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Some Reviews on the First Edition.
+
+"'Nancy Noon' is perhaps the strongest book of the year, certainly by
+far the strongest book which has been published by any new writer....
+Mr. Swift contrives to keep his book from end to end real, passionate,
+even intense.
+
+... If Mr. Meredith had never written, one would have predicted, with
+the utmost confidence, a great future for Mr. Benjamin Swift, and even
+as it is I have hopes."--_Sketch._
+
+"Certainly a promising first effort."--_Whitehall Review._
+
+"If 'Nancy Noon' be Mr. Swift's first book, it is a success of an
+uncommon kind."--_Dundee Advertiser._
+
+"'Nancy Noon' is one of the most remarkable novels of the year, and the
+author, avowedly a beginner, has succeeded in gaining a high position in
+the ranks of contemporary writers.... All his characters are delightful.
+In the heat of sensational incidents or droll scenes we stumble on
+observations that set us reflecting, and but for an occasional roughness
+of style--elliptical, Carlyle mannerisms--the whole is admirably
+written."--_Westminster Gazette._
+
+"Mr. Swift has the creative touch and a spark of genius."--_Manchester
+Guardian._
+
+"Mr. Swift has held us interested from the first to the last page of his
+novel."--_World._
+
+"The writer of 'Nancy Noon' has succeeded in presenting a powerfully
+written and thoroughly interesting story."--_Scotsman._
+
+"We are bound to admit that the story interested us all through, that it
+absorbed us towards the end, and that not until the last page had been
+read did we find it possible to lay the book down."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+"It is a very strong book, very vividly coloured, very fascinating in
+its style, very compelling in its claim on the attention, and not at all
+likely to be soon forgotten."--_British Weekly._
+
+"A clever book.... The situations and ensuing complications are
+dramatic, and are handled with originality and daring
+throughout."--_Daily News._
+
+"Mr. Benjamin Swift has written a vastly entertaining book."--_Academy._
+
+
+  MR. MAGNUS
+             BY
+    F. REGINALD STATHAM
+
+_Second Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Some Press Opinions on the First Edition.
+
+"One of the most powerful and vividly written novels of the
+day."--_Nottingham Guardian._
+
+"A grim, terrible, and convincing picture."--_New Age._
+
+"Very impressive."--_Saturday Review._
+
+"Distinctly readable."--_Speaker._
+
+"A remarkable book." _Standard._
+
+"Full of incident."--_Liverpool Mercury._
+
+"One of the most important and timely books ever written." _Newcastle
+Daily Mercury._
+
+"A vivid and stirring narrative."--_Globe._
+
+"An exceedingly clever and remarkable production."--_World._
+
+"A book to be read."--_Newsagent._
+
+"A terrible picture."--_Sheffield Independent._
+
+"One of the best stories lately published."--_Echo._
+
+"Worth reading."--_Guardian._ "A sprightly book."--_Punch._
+
+"The story is very much brought up to date."--_Times._
+
+"Vivid and convincing."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+"The story is good and well told."--_Pall Mall Gazette._
+
+"Ought to be immensely popular."--_Reynolds' Weekly Newspaper._
+
+"A most readable story."--_Glasgow Herald._
+
+"A brilliant piece of work."--_Daily Telegraph._
+
+"The story should make its mark."--_Bookseller._
+
+"Admirably written."--_Sheffield Daily Telegraph._
+
+"The more widely it is read the better."--_Manchester Guardian._
+
+"Will find many appreciative readers."--_Aberdeen Free Press._
+
+"Exciting reading."--_Daily Mail._
+
+"Can be heartily recommended."--_Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper._
+
+"A well-written and capable story."--_People._
+
+"Well written."--_Literary World._
+
+
+  TROOPER PETER HALKET OF MASHONALAND
+             BY
+       OLIVE SCHREINER
+      Author of "Dreams,"
+"Real Life and Dream Life," &c.
+
+_Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"We advise our readers to purchase and read Olive Schreiner's new book
+'Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland.' Miss Schreiner is one of the few
+magicians of modern English literature, and she has used the great
+moral, as well as the great literary, force of her style to great
+effect."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+"The story is one that is certain to be widely read, and it is well that
+it should be so, especially at this moment; it grips the heart and
+haunts the imagination. To have written such a book is to render a
+supreme service, for it is as well to know what the rough work means of
+subjugating inferior races."--_Daily News._
+
+"Some of the imaginative passages are very fine.... The book is
+powerfully written."--_Scotsman._
+
+"Is well and impressively written."--_Pall Mall Gazette._
+
+
+  MRS. KEITH'S CRIME
+             BY
+      MRS. W. K. CLIFFORD
+
+With a Portrait of Mrs. Keith by the
+          Hon. John Collier.
+
+_Sixth Edition._ _Crown 8vo., cloth_, 6s.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+"Is certainly the strongest book that Mrs. W. K. Clifford has given to
+the public. It is probably too the most popular."--_World._
+
+"It is charmingly told."--_Literary World._
+
+"A novel of extraordinary dramatic force, and it will doubtless be
+widely read in its present very cheap and attractive form."--_Star._
+
+"Mrs. Clifford's remarkable tale."--_Athenaeum._
+
+"Will prove a healthy tonic to readers who have recently been taking a
+course of shilling shocker mental medicine.... There are many beautiful
+womanly touches throughout the pages of this interesting volume, and it
+can be safely recommended to readers old and young."--_Aberdeen Free
+Press._
+
+
+  SOME 3/6 NOVELS
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Uniform Edition of MARK RUTHERFORD'S works. Edited by REUBEN SHAPCOTT.
+Crown 8vo., cloth.
+
+  THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARK RUTHERFORD. Fifth Edition.
+  MARK RUTHERFORD'S DELIVERANCE. New Edition.
+  MIRIAM'S SCHOOLING, and other Papers. By MARK RUTHERFORD.
+    With Frontispiece by WALTER CRANE. Second Edition.
+  THE REVOLUTION IN TANNER'S LANE
+  CATHARINE FURZE: A Novel. By MARK RUTHERFORD. Fourth Edition.
+  CLARA HOPGOOD. By MARK RUTHERFORD.
+
+"These writings are certainly not to be lightly dismissed, bearing as
+they do the impress of a mind which, although limited in range and
+sympathies, is decidedly original."--_Times._
+
+
+THE STATEMENT OF STELLA MABERLY. By F. ANSTEY, Author of "Vice Versa."
+Crown 8vo, cloth.
+
+"It is certainly a strange and striking story."--_Athenaeum._
+
+
+GINETTE'S HAPPINESS. Being a translation by RALPH DERECHEF of "Le
+Bonheur de Ginette." Crown 8vo, cloth.
+
+"Pretty and gracefully told."--_Pall Mall Gazette._
+
+
+SILENT GODS AND SUN-STEEPED LANDS. By R. W. FRAZER Second Edition. With
+4 full-page Illustrations by A. D. MCCORMICK and a Photogravure
+Frontispiece. Small crown 8vo., cloth.
+
+"Mr. Frazer writes powerfully and well, and seems to have an intimate
+acquaintance with the sun-steeped land, and the strange beings who
+people it."--_Glasgow Herald._
+
+
+PAUL HEINSIUS. By CORA LYSTER. Crown 8vo., cloth.
+
+"This is an extremely clever and altogether admirable, but not
+altogether unkind anatomisation of Teutonic character."--_Daily
+Chronicle._
+
+
+MY BAGDAD. By ELLIOTT DICKSON. Illustrated. 8vo., cloth.
+
+"Related with a refreshing simplicity that is certain to approve itself
+to readers."--_Bookseller._
+
+
+SILK OF THE KINE. By L. MCMANUS (C. MacGuire), Author of "Amabel: A
+Military Romance." Crown 8vo., cloth.
+
+"We have read 'The Silk of the Kine,' from the first page to the last,
+without missing a single word, and we sighed regretfully when Mr.
+McManus brought the adventures of Margery Ny Guire and Piers Ottley to a
+close."--_Literary World._
+
+
+A POT OF HONEY. By SUSAN CHRISTIAN. Crown 8vo., cloth.
+
+"The book is the outcome of a clever mind."--_Athenaeum._
+
+
+LIZA OF LAMBETH. By W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM. Crown 8vo., cloth.
+
+"An interesting story of life and character in the Surrey-side slums,
+presented with a great deal of sympathetic humour."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+
+THE TWILIGHT REEF, and other Stories. By HERBERT C. MCILWAIN. Crown
+8vo., cloth.
+
+
+  THE HALF-CROWN SERIES
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_Each Demy 12mo., cloth._
+
+  1. A GENDER IN SATAN. By RITA.
+  2. THE MAKING OF MARY. By JEAN M. MCILWRAITH.
+  3. DIANA'S HUNTING. By ROBERT BUCHANAN.
+  4. SIR QUIXOTE OF THE MOORS. By JOHN BUCHAN.
+  5. DREAMS. By OLIVE SCHREINER.
+  6. THE HONOUR OF THE FLAG. By CLARK RUSSELL.
+  7. LE SELVE. By OUIDA. 2nd Edition.
+  8. AN ALTRUIST. By OUIDA. 2nd Edition.
+
+
+  THE CAMEO SERIES
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_Demy 12mo., half-bound, paper boards, price_ 3s. 6d.
+
+_Vols. 14-17_, 3s. 6d. _net_.
+
+_Also, an Edition de Luxe, limited to 30 copies, printed on Japan
+paper._
+
+_Prices on application._
+
+
+1. THE LADY FROM THE SEA. By HENRIK IBSEN. Translated by ELEANOR MARX
+AVELING. Second Edition. Portrait.
+
+4. IPHIGENIA IN DELPHI, with some Translations from the Greek. By
+RICHARD GARNETT, LL.D. Frontispiece.
+
+5. MIREIO: A Provencal Poem. By FREDERIC MISTRAL. Translated by H. W.
+PRESTON. Frontispiece by JOSEPH PENNELL.
+
+6. LYRICS. Selected from the Works of A. MARY F. ROBINSON (Mme. JAMES
+DARMESTETER). Frontispiece.
+
+7. A MINOR POET. By AMY LEVY. With Portrait. Second Edition.
+
+8. CONCERNING CATS: A Book of Verses by many Authors. Edited by GRAHAM
+R. THOMPSON. Illustrated.
+
+9. A CHAPLET FROM THE GREEK ANTHOLOGY. By RICHARD GARNETT, LL.D.
+
+11. THE LOVE SONGS OF ROBERT BURNS. Selected and Edited, with
+Introduction, by Sir GEORGE DOUGLAS, Bart. With Front. Portrait.
+
+12. LOVE SONGS OF IRELAND. Collected and Edited by KATHERINE TYNAN.
+
+13. RETROSPECT, and other Poems. By A. MARY F. ROBINSON (Mme.
+DARMESTETER), Author of "An Italian Garden," &c.
+
+14. BRAND: A Dramatic Poem. By HENRIK IBSEN. Translated by F. EDMUND
+GARRETT.
+
+15. THE SON OF DON JUAN. By DON JOSE ECHEGARAY. Translated into English,
+with biographical introduction, by JAMES GRAHAM. With Etched Portrait of
+the Author by DON B. MAURA.
+
+16. MARIANA. By DON JOSE ECHEGARAY. Translated into English by JAMES
+GRAHAM. With a Photogravure of a recent Portrait of the Author.
+
+17. FLAMMA VESTALIS, and other Poems. By EUGENE MASON. Frontispiece
+after Sir EDWARD BURNE-JONES.
+
+
+  THE MERMAID SERIES
+
+THE BEST PLAYS OF THE OLD DRAMATISTS. LITERAL REPRODUCTIONS OF THE OLD
+TESTAMENT.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_Post 8vo., each Volume containing about 500 pages, and an etched
+Frontispiece, cloth_, 3s. 6d. _each_.
+
+
+1. THE BEST PLAYS OF CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE. Edited by HAVELOCK ELLIS, and
+containing a General Introduction to the Series by JOHN ADDINGTON
+SYMONDS.
+
+2. THE BEST PLAYS OF THOMAS OTWAY. Introduction by the Hon. RODEN NOEL.
+
+3. THE BEST PLAYS OF JOHN FORD.--Edited by HAVELOCK ELLIS.
+
+4 and 5. THE BEST PLAYS OF THOMAS MASSINGER. Essay and Notes by ARTHUR
+SYMONS.
+
+6. THE BEST PLAYS OF THOMAS HEYWOOD. Edited by A. W. VERITY.
+Introduction by J. A. SYMONDS.
+
+7. THE COMPLETE PLAYS OF WILLIAM WYCHERLEY. Edited by W. C. WARD.
+
+8. NERO, and other Plays. Edited by H. P. HORNE, ARTHUR SYMONS, A. W.
+VERITY, and H. ELLIS.
+
+9 and 10. THE BEST PLAYS OF BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER. Introduction by J.
+ST. LOE STRACHEY.
+
+11. THE COMPLETE PLAYS OF WILLIAM CONGREVE. Edited by ALEX. C. EWALD.
+
+12. THE BEST PLAYS OF WEBSTER TOURNEUR. Introduction by J. ADDINGTON
+SYMONDS.
+
+13 and 14. THE BEST PLAYS OF THOMAS HIDDLETON. Introduction by ALGERNON
+CHARLES SWINBURN.
+
+15. THE BEST PLAYS OF JAMES STANLEY. Introduction by EDWARD GOSSE.
+
+16. THE BEST PLAYS OF THOMAS DEKKER. Notes by ERNEST RHYS.
+
+17, 19, and 20. THE BEST PLAYS OF BEN JONSON, Vol. I. edited, with
+Introduction and Notes, by BRINSLEY NICHOLSON and C. H. HEREFORD.
+
+18. THE COMPLETE PLAYS OF RICHARD STEELE. Edited, with Introduction and
+Notes, by G. A. AITKEEN.
+
+21. THE BEST PLAYS OF GEORGE CHAPMAN. Edited by WILLIAM LYON PHELPS,
+Instructor of English Literature at Yale College.
+
+22. THE SELECT PLAYS OF SIR JOHN VANBRUGH. Edited, with an introduction
+and Notes, by A. E H. SWAEN.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_PRESS OPINIONS._
+
+"Even the professed scholar with a good library at his command will find
+texts here not otherwise easily accessible; while the humbler student of
+slender resources, who knows the bitterness of not being able to possess
+himself of the treasure stored in expensive folios or quartos long out
+of print, will assuredly rise up and thank Mr. Unwin."--_St. James's
+Gazette._
+
+"Resumed under good auspices."--_Saturday Review._
+
+"The issue is as good as it could be."--_British Weekly._
+
+"At once scholarly and interesting."--_Leeds Mercury._
+
+
+  LITTLE NOVELS
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_Demy 8vo., printed in bold type, paper covers,_ 6d.; _cloth_, 1s.
+
+
+   1. THE WORLD IS ROUND. By LOUISE MACK.
+   2. NO PLACE FOR REPENTANCE. By ELLEN F. PINSENT.
+   3. THE PROBLEM OF PREJUDICE. By Mrs. VERE CAMPBELL.
+   4. MARGARET GREY. By H. BARTON BAKER.
+   5. A PAINTER'S HONEYMOON. By MILDRED SHENSTONE.
+   6. THE BOND OF BLOOD. By R. E. FORREST.
+   7. A SLIGHT INDISCRETION. By Mrs. EDWARD CARTWRIGHT.
+   8. A COMEDY OF THREE. By NEWTON SANDERS.
+   9. PASSPORTS. By I. J. ARMSTRONG.
+  10. A NOBLE HAUL. By W. CLARK RUSSELL.
+  11. ON THE GOGMAGOGS. By ALICE DUMILLO.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_PRESS NOTICES._
+
+"Novel sets are many, but Mr. Fisher Unwin has begun a new one that for
+prettiness, type and cheapness will take front rank.... These little
+novels, which are very prettily bound for a shilling, and in paper at
+sixpence each, will--if we mistake not--equal the 'Pseudonyms' in
+popularity."--_Vanity Fair._
+
+"Mr. Unwin's newest series of 'Little Novels,' printed in strong black
+type on pleasant paper.... promises to be as good, if not better than
+any of the preceding ones.... The first book in the series is an
+extremely clever and original story of Australian society."--_Guardian._
+
+"Are readable.... They promise well for the success of the series they
+begin." _Scotsman._
+
+"The 'Little Novels' series starts well with this Australian story ('The
+World is Round').... Miss Mack's account of Sydney life is
+vivacious.... The two women she describes are brought before us with
+ability. Much of the dialogue, and certainly a letter from the Bush,
+deserves praise."--_Glasgow Herald._
+
+"If Mr. Fisher Unwin's 'Little Novels' series produces many works of the
+quintessential power of 'No Place for Repentance,' it will outweigh in
+all but bulk whole shelves of Mudie's fiction."--_Illustrated London
+News._
+
+"We do not apologise for telling the story of this little book, 'The
+Bond of Blood,' and giving long extracts from it. It is worth reading
+even when one knows all that is coming; for it is excellently told, with
+concentrated force, great simplicity, and a very remarkable attention to
+illustrative detail."--_Spectator._
+
+"A cheap and excellent series."--_St. James's Budget._
+
+"Well bound, well printed, and exceptionally low in price."--_Glasgow
+Herald._
+
+
+  The CHILDREN'S LIBRARY
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_Illustrated. Post 8vo., pinafore cloth binding, floral edges_, 2s 6d.
+_each_.
+
+
+1. THE BROWN OWL. By FORD H. HUEFFER. Illustrated by MADOX BROWN.
+
+2. THE CHINA CUP. By FELIX VOLKHOVSKY. Illustrated by MALISCHEFF.
+
+3. STORIES FROM FAIRYLAND. By GEORGES DROSINES. Illustrated by THOS.
+RILEY.
+
+4. THE STORY OF A PUPPET. By C. CULLODI. Translated from the Italian by
+M. A. MURRAY. Illustrated by G. MAZZANTI.
+
+5. THE LITTLE PRINCESS. By LINA ECKENSTEIN. Illustrated by DUDLEY HEATH.
+
+6. TALES FROM THE MABINOGIER. By META WILLIAMS.
+
+7. IRISH FAIRY TALES. Edited by W. B. YEATS. Illustrated by JACK B.
+YEATS.
+
+8. AN ENCHANTED GARDEN. By Mrs. MOLESWORTH. Illustrated by J. W.
+HENESSEY.
+
+9. LA BELLE NIVERNAISE. By ALPHONSE DAUDET. Illustrated by MONTEGUT.
+
+10. THE FEATHER. By FORD H. HUEFFER. Frontispiece by MADOX BROWN.
+
+11. FINN AND HIS COMPANIONS. By STANDISH O'GRADY, Author of "Red Hugh's
+Captivity," &c., Illustrated by J. B. YEATS.
+
+12. NUTCRACKER AND MOUSE KING and other Stories. By E. T. A. HOFFMANN.
+Translated from the German by ASCOTT R. HOPE.
+
+13. ONCE UPON A TIME: Fairy Tales. Translated from the Italian by LUIGI
+CAPUANA. With Illustrations by C. MAZZANTI.
+
+14. THE PENTAMERONE; or, The Story of Stories. By GIAMBATTISTA BASILE.
+Translated from the Neapolitan by JOHN EDWARD TAYLOR. New Edition,
+revised and edited by HELEN ZIMMERN. Illustrated by GEORGE CRUIKSHANK.
+
+15. FINNISH LEGENDS. Adapted by R. EIVIND. Illustrated from the Finnish
+Text.
+
+16. THE POPE'S MULE, and other Stories. By ALPHONSE DAUDET. Translated
+by A. D. BEAVINGTON-ATKINSON and D. HAVERS. Illustrated by ETHEL K.
+MARTYN.
+
+17. THE LITTLE GLASS MAN, and other Stories. Translated from the German
+of WILHELM HAUFFMAN. Illustrated by JAMES PRYDE.
+
+18. ROBINSON CRUSOE. By DANIEL DEFOE.
+
+19. THE MAGIC OAK TREE, and other Fairy Stories. By KNATCHBULL HUGESSEN
+(Lord BRABOURNE) Author of "Prince Mangold," "Queer Folk," &c.
+
+20. PAX AND CARLINO. By ERNEST BECKMAN.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_SOME PRESS NOTICES._
+
+"Happy children who are to own books as pretty and portable as this is."
+_Saturday Review._
+
+"The delightful 'Children's Library.'"--_National Observer._
+
+"The binding and printing are simply exquisite."--_Vanity Fair._
+
+"What a dainty little blue book!"--_Whitehall Review._
+
+"Prettily got up."--_Times._
+
+"Fascinating in appearance."--_Athenaeum._
+
+"Very daintily printed and bound."--_Daily Chronicle._
+
+"One of the prettiest books ever trusted to a child's hand."--_Queen._
+
+"Altogether agreeable to the eye."--_Globe._
+
+"Exquisite and dainty."--_British Weekly._
+
+"Very dainty and unique."--_Review of Reviews._
+
+"All the books are delightfully illustrated."--_Bookseller._
+
+"With every advantage that a dainty binding excellent paper, and
+admirable printing can bestow."--_Guardian._
+
+
+  THE AUTONYM LIBRARY
+
+(Uniform in style and price with the "Pseudonym Library.")
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_Paper_, 1s. 6d. _each_; _cloth_, 2s. _each_.
+
+
+   1. THE UPPER BERTH. By F. MARION CRAWFORD. Fourth Edition.
+   2. MAD SIR UCHTRED OF THE HILLS. By S. R. CROCKETT. Third Edition.
+   3. BY REEF AND PALM. By LOUIS BECKE. Third Edition.
+   4. THE PLAY-ACTRESS. By S. R. CROCKETT. Fifth Edition.
+   5. A BACHELOR MAID. By Mrs. BURTON HARRISON.
+   6. MISERRIMA. By G. W. T. OMOND.
+   7. THE TWO STRANGERS. By Mrs. OLIPHANT.
+   8. ANOTHER WICKED WOMAN. By G. S. GRANT-FORBES.
+   9. THE SPECTRE OF STRATHANNAN. By W. E. NORRIS.
+  10. KAFIR STORIES. By W. C. SCULLY.
+  11. MOLLY DARLING! And other Stories. By Mrs. HUNGERFORD.
+  12. A GAME OF CONSEQUENCES. By ALBERT KINROSS.
+  13. SLEEPING FIRES. By GEORGE GISSING.
+  14. THE RED STAR. By L. MCMANUS.
+  15. A MARRIAGE BY CAPTURE. By ROBERT BUCHANAN.
+  16. LEAVES FROM THE LIFE OF AN EMINENT FOSSIL. By W. DUTTON BURRARD.
+  17. AN IMPOSSIBLE PERSON. By CONSTANCE COTTERELL.
+  18. WHICH IS ABSURD. By COSMO HAMILTON.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+_PRESS NOTICES._
+
+"Very dainty and pleasing in appearance."--_Glasgow Herald._
+
+"Well printed and nicely got up."--_Queen._
+
+"The volumes promise to be as handy in shape and size as those of the
+original series; the printing is excellent, the paper is good, and the
+external appearance is neat and attractive."--_Athenaeum._
+
+"If 'The Autonym Library' keeps up to the pitch of excellence attained
+by the first volume its success is assured."--_Speaker._
+
+
+  THE STORY OF
+  THE NATIONS
+
+A SERIES OF POPULAR HISTORIES.
+
+
+_Each Volume is furnished with Maps, Illustrations, and Index. Large
+Crown 8vo., fancy cloth, gold lettered, or Library Edition, dark cloth,
+burnished red top,_ 5s. _each.--Or may be had in half Persian, cloth
+sides, gilt tops; Price on Application._
+
+
+   1. ROME. By ARTHUR GILMAN, M.A.
+   2. THE JEWS. By Professor J. K. HOSMER.
+   3. GERMANY. By the Rev. S. BARING-GOULD.
+   4. CARTHAGE. By Professor ALFRED J. CHURCH.
+   5. ALEXANDER'S EMPIRE. By Prof. J. P. MAHAFFY.
+   6. THE MOORS IN SPAIN. By STANLEY LANE-POOLE.
+   7. ANCIENT EGYPT. By Prof. GEORGE RAWLINSON.
+   8. HUNGARY. By Prof. ARMINIUS VAMBERY.
+   9. THE SARACENS. By ARTHUR GILMAN, M.A.
+  10. IRELAND. By the Hon. EMILY LAWLESS.
+  11. CHALDEA. By ZENAIDE A. RAGOZIN.
+  12. THE GOTHS. By HENRY BRADLEY.
+  13. ASSYRIA. By ZENAIDE A. RAGOZIN.
+  14. TURKEY. By STANLEY LANE-POOLE.
+  15. HOLLAND. By Professor J. E. THOROLD ROGERS.
+  16. MEDIAEVAL FRANCE. By GUSTAVE MASSON.
+  17. PERSIA. By S. G. W. BENJAMIN.
+  18. PHOENICIA. By Prof. GEORGE RAWLINSON.
+  19. MEDIA. By ZENAIDE A. RAGOZIN.
+  20. THE HANSA TOWNS. By HELEN ZIMMERN.
+  21. EARLY BRITAIN. By Professor ALFRED J. CHURCH.
+  22. THE BARBARY CORSAIRS. By STANLEY LANE-POOLE.
+  23. RUSSIA. By W. R. MORFILL.
+  24. THE JEWS UNDER THE ROMAN EMPIRE. By W. D. MORRISON.
+  25. SCOTLAND, By JOHN MACKINTOSH, LL.D.
+  26. SWITZERLAND. By R. STEAD and LINA HUG.
+  27. MEXICO. By SUSAN HALE.
+  28. PORTUGAL. By H. MORSE STEPHENS.
+  29. THE NORMANS. By SARAH ORNE JEWETT.
+  30. THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE. By C. W. C. OMAN, M.A.
+  31. SICILY: PHOENICIAN, GREEK AND ROMAN. By the late E. A. FREEMAN.
+  32. THE TUSCAN AND GENOA REPUBLICS. By BELLA DUFFY.
+  33. POLAND. By W. R. MORFILL.
+  34. PARTHIA. By Prof. GEORGE RAWLINSON.
+  35. THE AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH. By GREVILLE TREGARTHEN.
+  36. SPAIN. By H. E. WATTS.
+  37. JAPAN. By DAVID MURRAY, Ph.D.
+  38. SOUTH AFRICA. By GEORGE M. THEAL.
+  39. VENICE. By the Hon. ALETHEA WIEL.
+  40. THE CRUSADES: The Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. By T. A. ARCHER and
+      CHARLES L. KINGSFORD.
+  41. VEDIC INDIA. By ZENAIDE A. RAGOZIN.
+  42. THE WEST INDIES AND THE SPANISH MAIN. By JAMES RODWAY, F.L.S.
+  43. BOHEMIA. By C. E. MAURICE.
+  44. THE BALKANS. By W. MILLER.
+  45. CANADA. By Dr. BOURINOT.
+  46. BRITISH INDIA. By R. W. FRAZER, LL.B.
+  47. MODERN FRANCE. By ANDRE LE BON.
+      THE FRANKS. By LEWIS SERGEANT, B.A.
+
+"Such a universal history as the series will present us with in its
+completion will be a possession such as no country but our own can boast
+of.... Its success on the whole has been very remarkable."--_Daily
+Chronicle._
+
+
+  +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
+  |                                                                    |
+  | Transcriber's notes: Obvious spelling/typographical and            |
+  | punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison    |
+  | with other occurrences within the text and consultation of         |
+  | external sources.                                                  |
+  |                                                                    |
+  | The text is a compilation of previously published articles.        |
+  |                                                                    |
+  | Inconsistent spelling and inline hyphenation occurs across         |
+  | chapters and is retained.                                          |
+  |  "meal-worm[s]" occurs four times, "mealworm[s]" thirteen times    |
+  |  "re-appeared" occurs once and reappeared" occurs three times      |
+  |                                                                    |
+  | Page 3: The signature date 1800 is clear error, 1898 is likely     |
+  |         correct.                                                   |
+  | Page 28, 29: "I used still to to", extra "to" removed.             |
+  | Page 158: Small ligature oe transcribed as oe in "Scaraboeus".     |
+  | Last Pub. Page: Last entry "The Franks" unnumbered, retained.      |
+  |                                                                    |
+  +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Wild Nature Won By Kindness, by Elizabeth Brightwen
+
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