FAMILY CARES — NURSERY DUTIES. 157 



all devolve upon the female. The male either 

 retires from the neighbourhood with other males, 

 or fills up the time in moulting. The eider-duck 

 for this purpose goes out to sea; the common 

 British wild duck retires to the seclusion of some 

 reed-bed. 



With the hawks and eagles the thoroughness 

 with which these duties are carried out varies. 



Of the eagle, for instance, Capt, Bendire 

 writes that, "notwithstanding the many sensa- 

 tional stories of the fierceness and prowess of 

 the golden eagle, especially in the defence of 

 its eyrie, from my own observations I must 

 confess that, if not an arrant coward, it certainly 

 is the most indifferent in respect to the care of 

 its eggs and young that I have ever seen. This 

 may possibly be due more to utter parental in- 

 difference than to actual cowardice. ..." A 

 pair of merlins, on the contrary, gave proof of 

 real affection. Having been fired at several 

 times when on the nest they transported the 

 eggs to a bank forty yards distant, placed under 

 them a few leaves by way of a nest, and succeeded 

 in hatching them out successfully. 



In the common buzzard both male and female 

 sit upon the eggs : in the harrier the female only. 

 In both species the males assist in feeding the 

 young. 



In the courser, a plover-like bird sometimes 

 visiting Britain, the female only attends to the 

 eggs, the male returns to assist in the feeding 

 and care of the young. 



In most of the game-birds the duties of in- 

 cubation and the care of the young fall entirely 



