The Spotted Forktail 



thick. The inner wall was thin — a mere 

 lining to the earth. The nest contained four 

 young birds, whose eyes were barely open. 

 The young ones were covered with tiny para- 

 sites, which seemed quite ready for a change 

 of diet, for immediately after picking up one 

 of the young forktails, I found some thirty 

 or forty of these parasites crawling over my 

 hand ! 



There is luck in finding birds' nests, as in 

 everything else. A few days after I had 

 discovered the one above mentioned, I came 

 upon another without looking for it. When 

 I was walking along a hill-stream a forktail 

 flew out from the bank close beside me, and 

 a search of thirty seconds sufficed to reveal 

 a well-concealed nest containing three eggs. 

 These are much longer than they are broad. 

 They are cream-coloured, mottled and speckled 

 with tiny red markings. 



*57 



