BRITISH BIRDS. 



VOL. X. 



force, she is not violent and certainly causes the young 

 no pain. 



If the old bird is, for some reason, slow in coming to 

 the nest in a shower, the young crowd together with their 

 heads in the middle and do not stir when the hen comes 

 on. I have also seen her leave the nest with them still 



Pig. 2. SPARROW-HAWK. THE HEN LOOKING FOR THE YOUNGEST 

 NESTLING AT THE COMMENCEMENT OP A THUNDERSTORM. 



(Youngest bird 21 days old). 



{Photographed by J. H. Owen.) 



in the same position, and then no movement takes place 

 for another quarter of an hour at least. 



It seems an invariable rule that in wet weather the 

 hen always broods with her back to the wind. The 

 position, or rather arrangement of the body and wings, 

 over the young varies considerably. In the most usual 

 position, when the yoimg are big enough to require it, 

 the wings are slightly out from the body and depressed 



