WOOD AND WASTE 171 



studied out, the shadow of each leaf aud 

 growiug leaf, the sway of branches dancing 

 in the breeze or lashed and swaying in the 

 gale, the course of the water runnels that 

 cling and linger on the wet bough's base, 

 the ceiling of leaves that overlap like scales, 

 and are fit to deflect even the huge drops 

 of thunder rain. 



The Pigeon, nevertheless, in his choice 

 of a site, does not seem always to quite 

 allow for the force of gales in spring, and 

 possibly a few nestlings and eggs are blown 

 from their spillikin platforms. I have 

 mentioned the egg found broken beneath 

 the nest, and *'Pidgy," after a violent 

 storm, was found beneath his nest, unhurt, 

 however, and serene on a bed of swamp 

 fern. Evidently he had been fed and tended 

 there by the old birds. In his case, how- 

 ever, alterations had been made in the 

 surrounding branches; several saplings had 

 been cut and other boughs fastened back. 



My second attempt was on the Racecourse 

 nest, which was reached at 3.20, for on this 

 occasion I was determined to discover if 

 really the nestling was fed at dawn. A 



