172 



HHITISII BIRDS. 



TvoL. 



erroneous impression in 1911 that the feeding was done 

 exclusively by the female. During two days he did not 

 feed the young once, but would bring food to within a 

 few yards of the nest and deliver it to the female. On 

 these occasions there were several times scufflings and 

 loud harsh chatterings as though the hen were trying 

 to make him perform his duty properly, but while I 

 was watching he did not come right up to the nest once. 



HER BILL FULL OF CATEE.PILLAKS. 

 (Photographed hy N. F. Tice hurst.) 



The 1912 male was also more nervous than his mate 

 but, although her visits to the young were four or five 

 times more frequent than his, he carried out all the 

 duties incidental to the care of the young, and it is 

 therefore probable that under quite normal conditions 

 these duties are shared equally by the sexes. 



The food brought to the young consisted entirely of 

 caterpillars, those of the Green Oak-moth, that were 

 devastating the oak-trees in both years, predominating. 



