424 THE THRUSH FAMILY 



button-holes, sat myself under it with the camera on my knees, 

 and waited. In less than ten minutes the cock was perched before 

 the entrance to the nest. I touched the release, but alas! the 

 shutter of my camera, one of those euphemistically described in 

 the "trade" as "silent," broke the peaceful silence of the wood 

 with the noise of an avalanche rushing down an Alp. I secured, 

 it is true, a poor photograph of the cock, but the young were there 

 and then all scared from the nest, and my opportunity destroyed. 

 There was nothing for it but to fold my tent, like the Arab, and 

 silently steal away. 



The two redstarts are not unlike in their nesting habits, except 

 that the black species is found breeding, as already noted, at higher 

 levels, and is much more partial to human habitations. On the Conti- 

 nent his nest is often to be found in the middle of towns. The males 

 of both appear to take some share in incubation and nest-building, 

 the practice of individual birds possibly varying. 1 They certainly 

 assist in feeding the young, and, if the hen happens to be killed, 

 the cock will take upon himself the whole task. A good example 

 of this is given by Keller. As he sat watching a pair of black- 

 redstarts feed their young, these being two days' old, a sparrow- 

 hawk swooped down, and seized the little hen in his talons. Keller 

 could think of nothing better than to hurl his note-book at the 

 intruder, who thereupon dropped its victim, which fell to the ground, 

 where, after one or two convulsive movements, it lay quite lifeless. 

 The cock flew about in the greatest distress uttering his call-note. 

 Next day, however, he was busy feeding his young. He continued 

 to do so, day after day, early and late, on an average fifteen times 

 an hour, bringing two to three grubs to the nest each time. When 

 the young were fledged, he led them away into the trees and bushes, 

 and continued to satisfy their hunger for several days until able to 

 look after themselves. 2 



Both species usually rear from one to two broods in the year, and 



1 See the " Classified Notes." 2 Viigel Karntens, p. 107. 



