36 BIRD BIOGRAPHIES 



it tugged at it, pushing the body, to 

 which it was attached, away with its two 

 feet, and eventually the skin broke, and 

 the baby went tumbling head over tail 

 across the nest, but it had succeeded in 

 obtaining what it wanted, for when it 

 gained its feet it swallowed the fought- 

 for morsel with several satisfied gulps ! 



During the first few nesting seasons 

 that I spent in the Buzzard's home, I 

 found that in nearly every nest only one 

 young bird survived. This puzzled me 

 very much, for in these nests I had 

 previously seen two young, but by careful 

 watching I found out what actually took 

 place. I believe that when the young 

 disappear in this way, it only takes place 

 in localities where the parents have diffi- 

 culty in finding sufficient food for their 

 young. When the first youngster leaves 

 the shell it grows quickly, as all young 

 birds do just after coming from the egg, 

 and when the second bird arrives, the 



