ecessary excepting in a long
hard frost. Starlings are especially fond of bones, and they will
esteem it a favor if any which have been used in making soup, and are
not required for the dog, are thrown out to them on the ground. Their
joyous chattering over them is quite cheering, even on the dreariest
winter's day. They are also grateful for the rind of a ham or piece of
bacon, after it has been boiled. This should be thrown out to them
whole, not cut up in little pieces. They are equally fond of the bones
and skin remains of a 'dried' haddock.

"For the bolder birds, such as robins, you will like to put some food
on the window-sills, and also on the path or grass close to the house.
But remember the more timid ones, and scatter it in other parts of the
garden as well.

"Sparrows, of course, deserve their food as well as any of the others;
but it is rather hard to see them taking every morning much more than
their share, while the less courageous or impudent birds (who also
sing to you) get none. It seems impossible to prevent this, though Mr.
Phil. Robinson, in his book _Garden, Orchard, and Spinney_ (in the
chapter entitled 'The Famine is my Garden'), recommends scattering
some oatmeal mixed with a few bread crumbs on one side of the house,
to keep the sparrows occupied, whilst you feed the other birds
elsewhere. Sparrows, however, have a way of being on every side of the
house at once. Still, if you feed your birds daily, and as nearly at
the same time as possible (they like it as soon as may be after your
own breakfast), you will find them on the lookout for you, and they
will manage to get a good share, if they all start fair, in spite of
the sparrows. In a hard frost they are thankful for a second meal, but
it should not be later than two o'clock, because birds go to bed very
early in cold weather, and the food would be frozen too hard for them
to be able to eat it next morning.

"One word more. There is great danger of birds being caught by a cat
while they are busy with their food, especially if near the bushes.
The only possible protection against this which you can take is to see
that your own cat is indoors and is therefore not the offender."

READING

All persons who care very much for reading will find their way
naturally to the books most likely to please them; left alone in a
library they are never disappointed. For them no advice is necessary.
Nor is advice i