256 BIRD LIFE GLIMPSES 



there have been earlier broods. If we assume this, 

 and that two out of the three birds are the mated 

 pair, then we must suppose either that, all the while, 

 a rival male has continued to fight for the pos- 

 session of the nest and the female, or that two 

 females lay claim to the nest, and have, perhaps, 

 helped to build it. If this latter be the case, we 

 may, perhaps, see in it an extension of that spirit of 

 jealousy or rivalry which I have often observed in 

 female birds, whilst collecting materials for their 

 respective nests. Is it possible that such feelings 

 may have led to that habit which the females of 

 some birds have (or are supposed to have) of laying 

 their eggs in one common nest ? But I do not 

 suppose so. In this case, as before, it appears that 

 one of the rival birds — male or female — is preferred 

 by the bird in the nest, for this one, now, as the pre- 

 vailing party flies in and clings on the parapet, breaks 

 into a perfect jubilee of twitterings, and fuller, crood- 

 ling notes, that may almost be called song — very 

 pretty indeed, and extremely pleasing to hear. 

 Evidently either two males have fought for access 

 to a female — or two females to a male — in a nest 

 which one, or both, or all three have helped to make ; 

 but the difficulty in distinguishing the sexes prevents 

 one from saying which of these two it is. Mean- 

 while the parent bird has, for long, clung to the 

 other nest, without feeding the young. 



" 5//z. — A young martlet has just been fed, leaning 

 its head far out of the nest. The process was quick, 

 this time. Still, it must, L think, have been a re- 

 gurgitatory one. Two chicks, looking out from 

 their nest, have been, for some time, uttering 



