1 60 PET BIRDS OF BENGAL 



wind blew hard and it was very cold. I 

 wanted to ascertain how the young of 

 ground-nesting birds manage to survive a 

 continuous downpour of rain in open nests. 

 I went and was rewarded by one of those 

 rare peeps into the mysteries ot bird-life 

 which are the special privilege of the 

 aviculturist. The three little Larks were 

 sitting in an almost erect position facing 

 one another with their breasts pressed 

 closely together. Their beaks, pointed 

 upwards vertically, formed the apex of a 

 cone. Their necks were retracted, thus 

 bringing the thick tufts of down and 

 feathers on the crown and back together, 

 and their wings were held closely to their 

 sides. You will at once grasp the meaning 

 and object of those tuffcs, you will realize 

 that each little back formed a cleverly 

 designed water-shed and you will understand 

 why rain does not kill young Larks. 



''The parent birds would feed their 

 young diligently and were extremely careful 

 never to approach the nest when anyone 



