FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 169 



of stiff paper ; the noise is rather deep. The male was calling 

 in the distance, and then came into a tree close at hand and 

 called at intervals, the young answering with a rasping hum. 



4 p.m. Male came to nest ; the young must still have been 

 very immature, as he went inside. The male did not actually 

 announce his arrival on the nesting tree, and had I not heard 

 his wings and the noise he made pitching and clambering 

 down the tree backwards he might have come unnoticed. 



27th June. E.H.C. went over to the nest, hoping to get some 

 colour photographs, and noted as follows : 



3.25 The light became very dull whilst I was setting up, as 

 thunder was rolling about everywhere. The male called at 

 intervals while I was setting up. 



3.35 to 3.55 He called at intervals of about 5 minutes from 

 one of the dead branches of the nesting tree. 3.55 He moved 

 to another tree. 4.5 He came to the nest and after some 

 hesitation entered. The female was close at hand and called 

 whilst the male was in the nest. The young now make their 

 rasping buzz loudly. 4.10 The female came and sat up near 

 and remained in the neighbourhood, calling occasionally. 

 5 The female came to the nest, fed some of the young at the 

 entrance, finally entered the nest and cleaned it. Thereafter 

 I left. 



3rd July. W.P.C. thought he would try his luck on this 

 nest with Lumiere Autochrome and Paget Colour plates. He 

 notes as follows : 



3.30 I got started ; the female bird arrived shortly after. 

 She came to the hole, but was very fidgetty indeed and gave 

 me no chance of trying a plate on her. She started to feed 

 the young and then got a fit of nerves, and went on to a high 

 bough, whence she called repeatedly for the male. She waited 

 about half an hour, during which time I debated whether I 

 would swing the camera round to try a shot at her, but she 

 never stayed still a fraction of a second, twisting her head in 

 all directions, and every once now and again calling. Her 

 head action and movements remind me very much of the 

 Great Northern Driver (Colymbus immer). 



