WOOD AND WASTE 115 



will move her pups. The youngest chick 

 was always first taken. On one occasion I 

 had knotted a string on to one of the 

 nestlings to mark him, and was reminded 

 next visit of the fact by finding the string 

 on the nest evidently untied by the hen 

 Falcon. 



When advancing to shelter the nestlings, 

 she '^creeps," or ''glides," or "pushes" 

 on to them — each word would describe the 

 curious action — and at any rate first covers 

 them with her breast, not her wings. 



The young spend a lot of their time 

 snoozing; then there is the constant occupa- 

 tion of getting rid of the black blowflies 

 who are so tickly, and will clamber about 

 their fluff, and will not go away. 



Then they play, too, venturing out from 

 their ledge as toddling children do from 

 an open door, pretending suddenly to be 

 scared, and hopping back with great 

 celerity. Great fits of yawning, too, or 

 more probably some Falcon Sandow exercise, 

 overcome them at times, and for a minute 

 at a time they will stand gaping and 

 swallowing till their jaws must ache. 



