260 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



devolves upon the' female, she occupying the nest nearlv 

 twice as long as her partner. She is the first to take the 

 nest, and remains on it for a period varying from three to 

 four hours, when she is relieved for a short time by the 

 male, who is often very reluctant to obey her summons. 

 When the nest is assailed by intruders, both birds exert 

 themselves with commendable zeal to infuse a feeling of 

 fear into them, by loud screams and menacing gestures. 

 The female, however, is more turbulent and threatening 

 than her mate ; who, though loud in his protestations of 

 anger, manages to keep at a safe distance ; while she, with 

 true motherly instinct, often risks her own life in defense 

 of her treasures. The eggs require from twenty to twentv- 

 one days to hatch. 



The young are tenderly nursed, especially by the mother- 

 bird, who labors incessantly to provide them with suitable 

 and sufficient food. The male-bird is less attentive to 

 their wants, but remains at home doing duty, during the 

 absence of the female. Their food consists of grasshoppers, 

 and the flesh of birds and of small quadrupeds which are 

 taken as prey. The external covering is removed, and the 

 flesh is administered in small bits. At the age of four 

 weeks there is less care manifested in this respect ; the 

 young being sufficiently strong to tear the flesh themselves. 

 In about a fortnight from this time, they leave the nest and 

 cling to the tree-branches, w r here they receive their food. 

 A week longer, they are able to hunt partially for them- 

 selves, the mother-bird still exercising a maternal super- 

 vision over them. At nights, they repair to the family-tree 

 to roost. This continues for a brief season, when they 

 separate, each taking a different course for itself. This 

 happens about the time that the parent-birds dissolve part- 

 nership, and return to that solitude from which they came. 



The eggs of this species are spheroidal-oval. They exhibit 

 considerable variation in almost all particulars except shape, 

 which is pretty generally uniform. Their ground-color 



