WOOD AND WASTE 177 



raking him out very gently from beneath 

 his mother. I then wrapped him in my 

 cap in case he should be broken, and left 

 him on a limestone ledge while we continued 

 our work. 



After a time it was curious to notice 

 how the mother Pigeon gradually began to 

 miss him and became uneasy, yet even the a 

 we succeeded in lowering her down, still 

 sitting, to the required level. 



It was only when we had all but secured 

 the lashings of the lowered sapling, that she 

 flew off, shamming lameness and a broken 

 wing, and fluttering off through the open 

 underwood — the only time, by the bye, I 

 have noticed a pigeon exercising this useful 

 ruse. Had she had her egg beneath her I 

 believe she would have continued to sit 

 through the whole operation. 



"Uncle Harry" was then put back in 

 his nest and photographed, the sapling was 

 replaced and securely fastened, and when 

 an hour later I returned, hardly daring to 

 hope all would be well, I found the cour- 

 ageous hen again sitting on him. In due 

 course he hatched out, and eventually was 



24 



