THE REED-BUNTING 127 



coloured hen both building the nest of rotted soft rushes, 

 chate, cotton grass or watergrass and roots, the cradle often 

 being lined with horse-hair. If they build in reeds, they use 

 reed-feather. The nest is merely lodged in the rush, green 

 sedge, or reed, sometimes merely placed on the marsh, some- 

 times, and oftenest, placed a foot from the marsh, and at 

 other times even two feet from the marsh bottom. When 

 the nest is finished, the hen lays her three or four, rarely 

 five, scribbled eggs, and forthwith begins to sit, the hand- 

 some cock relieving her at intervals. When in the fulness 

 of time the black youngsters with their gaping red maws 

 are hatched, both parents are busy, from dawn till late at 

 night, gathering food for the gaping maws, never alighting 

 on the nest, but dropping into the stufiF near the nest, and 

 creeping to it under cover, feeding the young in the cool 

 shade, for the opening of the nest is turned away from the 

 sun, if possible, to protect the young from its rays. Indeed 

 this is the practice of most birds. The bird is tame, or 

 " cottly," as they say in Norfolk, yet full of deception ; for if 

 you approach the nest, the sitting bird will run or fly off as 

 if wounded, get her back and feathers up, flap and " trapse " 

 (trail) her wing, trusting you to follow her, and leave the 

 nest. Should you be close upon her nest, she will keep 

 rising and hustling, leading you away from the precious 

 nursery, even falling to the ground with outspread wings, 

 helpless — so artful is she. 



The young are fed by both birds on insects gathered by 

 the water-side, especially from water-flags, and on flies and 

 insects picked up on the marsh bottom. 



They raise two broods a year, if not robbed ; but should 

 anything happen to either clutch, they will go on laying, so 

 that eggs may be found after harvest even, for there are then 

 plenty of maggots, cankers, and midges for old and young. 



When not engaged in rearing their young, they sit upon 

 "sprags " or reed-stalks, after the manner of the land-bunting, 

 and sing a somewhat harsh song, like that of their blood- 



