The Sheep-Fluke. 



26 



not return until all seems quiet. If one goes under the tree and remains 

 there for some time, the birds at last become uneasy, and at intervals fly 

 near, hover and wheel overhead for a few 

 seconds crying out, and then again disap- 

 pear. 



Both sexes take part in building, the 

 male being quite as industrious and expert 

 as the female. The mud and straw (de- 

 cayed grass or sedge) culms are brought 

 in masses as large as the end of one's 

 finger. The trip and back of (say) 100 

 yards takes only thirty seconds. The 

 work of building consists in laying the 

 load on and then distributing it. The 

 latter requires skill in treading the top 

 down, and weaving in the projecting 

 straws. The weaving in is done with the 

 beak, which is worked along the edge of 

 the masonry, seizing any projecting straws 

 and by a quick twist turning them against 

 the mud, where they adhere. If by chance 

 any straw is too stiff and repeatedly fails to adhere, and obstinately sticks 

 out, it is pulled out and discarded, the surface of the masonry being thus 

 kept constantly free of projecting straws as the work progresses. When 

 complete the nest is cup-shaped, hemispherical, 5 to inches across and 3 

 inches deep, and often resembles a knot or excrescence on the limb, the 

 resemblance being sometimes heightened by the similarity in colour. The 

 lining consists of a few'straws, and occasionally a feather or two. 



At one 



';S"^>-^^.- 



' At one time during' my strolls "- 



time during 

 my strolls I 

 entei'tained 

 myself mak- 

 ing some ob- 

 servations 

 on these 

 birds, ex- 

 tendingover 

 some weeks 

 off and on, 

 when to my 

 delight a 

 pair of them 



were so accommodating as to come 

 and build within sight of my labora- 

 tory window, as much as to say, 

 "G-o-lec! go-lee! Tou needn't _;'___, ^ 

 squander such a lot of time spying 



into the secrets of Pce-weedom. We're going to take pity oii you, and show 

 you the whole family history. Go-lee ! go-lee !" 



I am not quite sure that this is a perfectly frank statement of the case, 

 for I suspect that this particular pair of birds came from a certain willow- 

 tree where during the previous fortnight a succession of tragedies had taken 

 place. A nest had been completed in this willow before my attention was 



^/ 



' Within sight of mr 

 iboratory window." 



