NESTLINGS OF FOREST AND MARSH 
To see the first flight of those babies 
required no small effort, but we felt well 
repaid. Just as the sun came out from 
behind the hills and peeped into the small 
round doorway, a tiny brown head appeared, 
then out came the wee bird, evidently assisted 
from behind by a too eager brother or 
sister. He made his way onto a rush and 
clung there until out came a second, and 
aiming for the same perch, sent him tum- 
bling to another ; a third flew from the door 
to a cat-tail without mishap. The father 
came near with food, and called; with con- 
fidence of ignorance the first baby let go 
his hold, and managed, half fluttering, half 
scrambling over the marsh-grass, to reach 
the proffered breakfast. The second and 
third were not long in following suit, and 
both received well-earned reward. Then, 
with appetites surfeited, they blinked sleepily 
and dozed, while the parents, distracted 
between guarding them and watching me, 
were busy and unhappy. But where were 
the others? No more heads appeared in 
132 
