The Family of Bob-White 91 



were a week old a weasel happened upon 

 them in the night, and before their vigilant 

 little mother had been able to scatter and hide 

 them, he sucked the blood of three, and the 

 family was reduced to an even dozen. 



A grub or louse had claimed two more 

 within another week, and the family was 

 down to ten. The next thief to come among 

 them was the sparrow-hawk, who took one in 

 each claw at a single swoop, leaving but eight; 

 these eight, however, lived until the hunting 

 season opened in the autumn, when four of 

 them went into a game bag before they even 

 thought of scattering and thus diminishing 

 their peril. 



After that ominous day they never knew 

 just when the deafening banging would be- 

 gin, and they were not left in peace for many 

 days at a time. 



When the season finally closed, there were 

 two chicks and one of the old birds left. Only 

 three out of seventeen, the original family. 



In addition to such bad luck as this the 

 following winter had been exceptionally hard. 



