]02 Our Bird Friends. 



old Oyster Catchers rushed off to try to make 

 them beheve its nest was on a rocky promontory 

 close by. A few seconds later one of the venture- 

 some chicks thought it could cross a tiny creek of 

 shallow water before an incoming wave had time 

 to catch and overwhelm it. This was a sad mis- 

 take ; for the rushing flood of Avater knocked it 

 down and rolled it over and over, and the backwash 

 sucked it away towards deep water. The down}' 

 little thing struggled and kicked most gallantly 

 shorewards, but l)otbre it had a chance of setting 

 foot on the solid sand the next breaker bowled it 

 over and I lost sio^ht of it in the smother of broken 

 water. The unfortunate creature would have 

 perished to a certainty had J not ])roinptly jumped 

 up and run along and rescued it. 'ihosc old Oysttr 

 Catchers knew the ways of adventurous chicks and 

 tund)ling Avaves far better than I did, and I shall 

 never doubt their wisdom again. 



Tlie behaviour of parent birds differs very widely 

 when danger threatens their helpless children. 

 Some species, such as the Red Grouse and Conmion 

 Partridge, decoy an intruder away from the presence 

 of their offspring by feigning injury. Crouching 

 quite still and silent in the heather or grass, with 

 eyes and ears alert, they allow an enemy to 

 approach ver}^ close indeed, in the hope that they 

 may be passed by unseen : but when they judge it 

 unsafe to remain quiet any longer, they suddenly 

 junq) up and scutHe along the ground as if quite 



