124 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



the nest and took away the excreta. At 12.30 the cock 

 brought in ten larvae, but I was unable to identify them ; he 

 fed the young very quickly indeed and left. 



I started to refocus (as I was using a 17in. Ross Telecentric, 

 I thought it desirable, as the camera might settle a trifle). 

 Both birds came back together, and I watched them on the 

 focussing screen ; one had a collection of small diptera, and 

 the other two larvae of Taeniocampa stabilis ; when the birds 

 left I finished refocussing, but the hen came back with more 

 food whilst I was settling. I failed, however, to see what she 

 brought. 



At 12.40 the cock brought a collection of geometer larvae 

 and took away excreta, which appeared to be held up by one 

 of the young in its beak. At 12.47 the hen fed young. At 

 12.55 the cock, at 1 p.m. hen, and at 1.5 the hen came back 

 again with 4 green geometer larvae, but not Cheimatobia 

 brumata nor Oporabia dilutata, much more like Cidaria larvae. 



At 1.10 the cock and at 1.12 the hen came back with more 

 larvae. 



At 1.30 I went to lunch and returned at 2.45. 



At 2.46 the hen came with a beakful of green geometer 

 larvae, fed young and cleaned nest. 



Immediately after the cock came back with larvae and 

 fed young ; he stood in the entrance of the nest and rose 

 straight from it. This was a very unusual performance ; as a 

 rule the birds hopped to a twig outside the nest and jumped 

 off from the twig. 



At 2.48 the hen returned with one green geometer larva 

 only, fed the young, and then sat on a tw r ig outside the nest ; 

 at 2.50 she went into the nest, and fidgetted about and came 

 out eating something. 



At 3.12 hen returned, fed young, cleaned nest, and took 

 away excreta ; she then returned to the nest and stayed 

 brooding. She sat on the nest in a sideways fashion with her 

 head peeping out ; she seemed to spend most of her time 

 picking over the down on the young, from which she seemed to 

 take minute insects. 



