OiJSEEVATIONS ON A PAIR OF BLACKBIRDS. 205 



find her " not at home." A passing breeze put out my light, 

 and I thought I would feel my way to the nest, but, mis- 

 judging my way, I suddenly lighted on a warm fluff of 

 feathers, and before I could withdraw my hand the bird 

 had left the nest. I found one egg within and then retired, 

 dreading lest my ill-timed curiosity should make her forsake 

 the nest. Fortunately she decided to continue with us, and 

 three more eggs were placed by the first. 



On the 7th of April the occupant of the first egg broke 

 his shell and first saw daylight, or rather would have seen 

 it but for the fact of his being blind for the first few days 

 of his life. His hatching took place exactly fourteen days 

 after the laying of the egg. His example was followed at 

 intervals by his three companions. 



At this period, " Father Whitehead," as we called the 

 cock bird, first came into prominence ; somehow he kept 

 very much in the background while the nest was in process 

 of construction, and it was only after the young birds had 

 made their appearance that we knew him to be the husband 

 of .the industrious little hen. 



With his new responsibilities, however, he put his 

 shoulder to the wheel, and took his part nobly in the 

 arduous task of filling the gaping bills of the nestlings. He 

 never sat upon the nest to keep the young ones warm, the 

 whole of that duty devolving upon the hen ; and a very 

 necessary duty it was, considering the cold weather and the 

 complete nakedness of the young brood. 



It is somewhat hard to realise that the clumsy little crea- 

 tures — naked, sprawling, and uncouth — could ever have con- 

 trived to pack themselves within the narrow compass of an 

 egg-shell. It is explained perhaps partly by the fact that 

 their lungs are now inflated with air, and also that their 

 digestive apparatus is distended with food, which facts, I 



