198 THE RED START. 



in number, and admitting only one to be fed each 

 time^ x every bird must receive in this period eight 

 and twenty portions of food or water ! This ex- 

 cessive labour seems entailed upon most of the land 

 birds, except the gallinaceous tribes, and some of 

 the marine birds, which toil with infinite persever- 

 ance in fishing for their broods ; but the very pre- 

 carious supply of food to be obtained in dry seasons 

 by the terrestrial birds, renders theirs a labour of 

 more unremitting hardship than that experienced by 

 the piscivorous tribes, the food of which is probably 

 little influenced by season, while our poor land birds 

 find theirs to be nearly annihilated in some cases. 

 The gallinaceous birds have nests on the ground ; 

 the young leave them as soon as they escape from 

 the shell, are led immediately from the hatch to 

 fitting situations for food and water, and all their 

 wants are most admirably attended to ; but the 

 constant journeyings of those parent birds that have 

 nestlings unable to move away, the speed with 

 which they accomplish their trips, the anxiety they 

 manifest, and the long labour in which they so 

 gaily persevere, is most remarkable and pleasing, 

 and a duty consigned but to a few. 



We have no bird more assiduous in attentions to 

 their young, than the red start (steort, Saxon, a 

 tail,) one or other of the parents being in perpetual 

 action, conveying food to the nest, or retiring in 

 search of it ; but as they are active, quick-sighted 

 creatures, they seem to have constant success in their 

 transits. They are the most restless and suspicious 



