172 THE SECOND BOOK OF BIRDS 
for the nestlings is of dry grass. One was found 
in which the bed was entirely of the bones and 
scales of fish. 
Mr. Baily has told us about a family of king- 
fisher little folk whom he studied and photo- 
graphed. He dug down to the nest from above, 
and was careful not to hurt them and to put 
them back safely. First Mr. Baily took a pic- 
ture of them when two days old. They were 
queer-looking objects, with eyes not open, and 
not a feather to their backs. They were not so 
young but that they had one notion in their 
little round heads. That was to cuddle up close 
together. They were not used to much room in 
their dark cradle. 
When Mr. Baily laid them out on the ground, 
they at once crawled up together and made 
themselves into a sort of ball. They put their 
bare wings and their bills over one another, and 
held on so that one could not be moved without 
the others. After they had sat for their picture 
they were carefully put back, and the nest was 
covered up again. 
When the nestlings were nine days old, the 
nest was opened again, and another picture 
taken. The little ones had grown a good deal in 
these few days. Their eyes were open, and they 
were fast getting their feather coats on. But 
