140 



usually given when she was twenty or thirty feet away 

 from the nest. They would prick up their ears and with 

 wide-open eyes and mouths opened wider still, each strive 

 to be the nearest to her as she hopped to the back edge of 

 the nest. 



Mother Thrasher showed no intentional partiality but 

 fed her three children in turn. Occasionallv she made a 



Fig. 121. Sometimes Thrashers nest on the grouml but more 

 often in bushes. 



mistake and fed the same one twice in succession. As the 

 little fellows grew older they resented such slights. The 

 one whose turn it was to be fed would raise his voice in 

 noisy protest if a nice, appetizing s]iider was, by mistake, 

 thrust down his brother's throat. As the morsel was imme- 



