142 AMONGST THE WOODLAND BIRDS— 
lying in the street. Even this young bird 
has the white mark well developed. It may 
have tumbled out of its nest accidentally, 
or have come off worst in a quarrel with its 
stronger brothers and sisters before it could 
fly. I have seen the young, two or three at 
a time, when almost ready to take wing, sit 
upon the edge of the nest (see Plate XLI), 
pecking each other mercilessly, all trying 
either to get the best place or even to dis- 
lodge one another entirely, in their efforts not 
to miss the tit-bits from the attentive, inde- 
fatigable parent birds, who keep flying up to 
the nest from time to time. This perching on 
the rim of the nest when they sit up for the 
first time, lasts, I believe, only two or three 
days. Then, after they have felt their wings 
a bit, comes the first flight, which is an anxious 
moment for themselves and their parents. 
They do not, I think, return much to the nest, 
but sit about on gutters or ledges, where they 
keep twittering to remind their parents they 
are there and are hungry all the time. When 
strong enough they join their parents in 
