A Nest of Young Savages 105 
Harrier ran at the defunct bird and literally jumping on its back, 
seized it and, taking wing, was about to make off, when, in order not 
to lose my duck, I shot him. 
The comparative quickness of vision of the various orders of 
birds is interesting to study. My own conclusions are that none 
see quicker than the smaller species of Gulls, and after them the 
larger Gulls. The most wary of birds, such as the Great and 
Little Bustards, Curlew and various raptorial birds, have now and 
again all come past me within easy shot, when lying concealed. 
Not so the small Gulls, which ceaselessly drift up and down the 
waters of the lagunas in winter and which somehow always detect 
one’s presence before coming within shot and swerve off. 
In some of the large tracts of bulrush Marsh Harriers nest in 
colonies and even in small marshes it is no uncommon thing to 
find two or three nests within 20 to 4o yards of one another. 
As far as I can judge, they seem to prefer to occupy some other 
bird’s nest to building one for themselves, but I know of several 
instances where they undoubtedly built their own nest. This once 
occurred close to my quarters, a pair of Harriers building their nest 
in the reeds not 10 yards from the bank of a reed-grown pool. 
It is many years since I found my first nest of young Harriers, 
and it cost me dear. I was riding alone near a marsh, and seeing 
some Harriers enter a high patch of bulrush I dismounted and, 
picketing my horse, waded in. The water was 3 ft. deep and the 
reeds so dense that it was difficult to force one’s way through them. 
Suddenly I came upon a nest with four young birds in the white- 
down stage with their primaries just budding. The instant they 
saw me they sprang up and showed fight, assuming various 
attitudes of defiance. It was a novel and interesting sight to 
see these little savages in their home amid the waters. Upon my 
attempting to pick up one of them to examine it closer, it struck 
out an abnormally long yellow leg armed with black needle-like 
