WOOD AND WASTE 179 



rarely indeed, from the parent bird— usually 

 the male — who watches and guards the nest. 

 What is its signification I have no idea 

 whatsoever. There seemed no reason for it, 

 and I could associate the sound with neither 

 comradeship nor danger. 



The youngsters thus ravished from their 

 nests and named by my little daughter 

 ''Kuku," and "Pidgy," and ''Uncle Harry," 

 were each, upon arrival at the house, pre- 

 sented with an artificial nest, and though I 

 say it who shouldn't, quite a superior 

 article to the original. A large bowl 

 was fiilled up with broken flax stems, 

 over them were placed sticks, and on top 

 of all the slender droopers of weeping 

 willows cut into short lengths. "Kuku" 

 and "Pidgy" were companions at first, 

 and afterwards, owing to an accident to 

 the latter, "Pidgy" and ''Uncle Harry." 

 They were fed on oatmeal porridge, and 

 on that and bread they thrived from the 

 very start of their new life. During the 

 first few meals the feeding was rather a 

 messy business, but we soon learnt that by 

 gentle manuipulation of the throat, the birds 



