THE EGGS ON TOP OF THE HILL 95 



birds will perform, and how bold they 

 will become when trying to defend their 

 young. One bird threw itself on the 

 ground not far from my feet, and with 

 one wing evidently hanging helpless at 

 its side, and with a leg lying under the 

 tail as if badly broken, it slowly dragged 

 itself along the ground, giving out a 

 plaintive cry meanwhile. In this way it 

 attracted me, or rather it thought it was 

 attracting me, some distance away and 

 then flew up, gave out some excited 

 cries, and thought it had done a very 

 clever thing, 



The young birds are well looked after 

 by their parents, and in the early 

 morning especially have a quantity of 

 food given to them and consequently 

 grow quickly. They soon lose their 

 pretty downy appearance, and become 

 long-legged, lanky - looking birds quite 

 able to shift for themselves ; and it was 

 a good job they were able to do this, 



