WILD CREATURES OF GARDEN AND HEDGEROW 



feeding the youngsters, and saw the family 

 launch themselves into the wide world. The 

 nest was not that of my friends which build 

 in the creepers on the house, for they make 

 their home too high up for photography, but 

 of another pair that had chosen a hole in an 

 old wall belonging to some farm buildings. 

 The parents had got quite used to my tent, 

 and took no notice whatever when I was inside 

 with my camera, but went backwards and 

 forwards with food for the hungry family. 

 In forty-five minutes they visited the nest nine 

 times, or on an average once every five minutes. 

 Say they began work at five o'clock (probably 

 their hungry nestlings were begging for food 

 long before that), and continued up to nine at 

 night, which would mean a sixteen hour working 

 day, they would between them go backwards 

 and forwards one hundred and ninety-two times. 

 As a rule birds that have young to feed slacken 

 work a little at mid-day, but this is their only 

 rest ; they otherwise slave unceasingly to supply 

 the everlastingly hungry mites, and it is not 

 only the question of going to and fro, but of 

 searching for the insects in between. But 

 then in the wild world there are no trade 

 unions, no strikes, no eight hours day, and no 

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