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 



194 



