SUMMEE LIFE OF THE PARTRIDGE 153 



noise of scratching and pecking beneath the 

 feathers of her breast, and her httle heart flut- 

 tered with joy, as, with head held downward and 

 aside that she might catch each repetition of the 

 sound, she Hstened intently. Soon the scratch- 

 ing and pecking could be heard from other parts 

 of the nest, and, near her feet, she felt that an 

 egg was broken, and that a tiny chick was feebly 

 moving towards the edge of the nest. The brood- 

 ing partridge lifted herself gently, till the chick, 

 with a twitter of contentment, gained the warm, 

 well-ventilated shelter of her wing. 



Now, instead of resuming the position she had 

 previously occupied, she held herself sHghtly 

 higher above the nest, that the air might pass 

 freely between her body and the eggs. At inter- 

 vals, for som.e hours, the sounds of chipping and 

 twittering were continued ; and before evening 

 all but three of the eggs were safely hatched. 

 The mother bird succeeded in cracking one of 

 these three eggs, and thus releasing a chick that 

 had vainly striven to break the shell ; in another, 

 a weakling died after vain attempts to secure 

 its freedom ; while the third, in which could be 

 detected no sign of Hfe, was allowed to remain 

 for a time among the chicks, and ultimately, 

 when the mother bird put her home in order, 

 was removed to a place amid the rotting herbage 

 of the ditchs 



