Preface 



THIS little book has been prepared in 

 order to give boys and girls who love 

 the countryside, and the wild creatures that 

 dwell therein, two things. First of all, a 

 little gallery of faithful pictures of baby 

 birds at home amidst their natural sur- 

 roundings, and secondly, a short and simple 

 account of the interesting habits of their 

 parents. 



Baby birds differ very widely in appear- 

 ance, habits, and behaviour. Those that 

 have to remain in the nest and be fed by 

 their parents for days or even weeks, such 

 as robins, thrushes, hawks, and eagles, are 

 hatched with their eyes closed and do not 

 open them for some little time. On the other 

 hand chicks that run about, or swim, directly 

 they leave the egg-shell, such as the wild 

 duck, plover, grouse, partridge and snipe, 

 have them open. All chicks that leave the 

 nest as soon as they are hatched have a good 



