ioo BIRD BIOGRAPHIES 



and, looking round, she saw a large bird 

 looking down at her. He seemed to be 

 in a fighting humour, for he came towards 

 her, and she, in her fright, left her nest 

 and gave out her loud notes of alarm. 

 Instantly her mate flew towards her, and 

 both birds flew round and about the 

 robber ; but what did he care ? why he 

 hardly took any notice of them, and just 

 picking up one of the eggs in his beak 

 he flew to his hungry youngsters above ; 

 as soon as the four beaks were raised 

 he held the egg over one big mouth, 

 broke it and allowed the contents to run 

 down the young bird's throat. Straight 

 back to the Blackbirds' home he went, 

 and swallowed two eggs himself, while 

 the owners made a most tremendous noise ; 

 but ignoring them altogether, the other 

 two eggs were taken up to his young. The 

 Blackbirds had learnt a lesson, and the next 

 nest that they built was far from the oak, 

 and it was more successfully concealed. 



