40 THE HOME-LIFE OF 



handy, and a finger in the throat giving them no 

 other sensation than a desire to swallow it, \ve were 

 forced to resort to violently frightening them, whereupon 

 the more portly, with much gulping, parted with their 

 last meal. Naturally they were " a bit sick " at having 

 thus to lose what was their only pleasure in life, and 

 for a time sat gloomily in the nest. 



We need not follow in detail all those long hours 

 spent in the sallow bush, extending as they did through 

 many days, for, however fascinating in the doing, it 

 would by the very nature of it be somewhat of a repetition, 

 and might be wearisome in the telling. 



Suffice it that for some time after my friends had closed 

 me up and left all was quiet, the old ones flying to and fro 

 overhead, being able by some means to instil silence in 

 the young ones, but as soon as the Herons began to 

 settle on the tops of the neighbouring bushes it was the 

 signal that danger was over and that each chick might 

 proclaim his needs or feelings as he thought best. Then 

 began the most extraordinary concert I have ever listened 

 to. From the old birds in the bush-tops, from the 

 almost naked little beggars in the nests, and up from the 

 dense undergrowth, where the big chicks were hiding, 

 there arose the most wonderful variety of grunting, 

 squorking and cackling that it is possible to imagine. 

 Every kind of discordant sound that the ear is famiUar 

 with was there, from the grunting of a sow to the cry of 

 a guinea fowl, and endless others beside. 



My family was now rapidly growing hungry, and 

 sitting up, greedily scanned the old birds flying around ; 

 but as time passed and none approached with food their 

 hunger was only equalled by their rage. At last a Heron 

 seemed to be coming somewhat in their direction — quite 

 enough for the young to be convinced that it was none 

 other than their mother — and on her passing without alight- 

 ing their disappointment overcame their brotherly feelings 

 and they set about each other with a will (Plate 28a). 



