THE YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO 



you leave, girlie?" She made no movement to go. One more 

 step brought my face level with her. I lifted my hand and gently 

 stroked her wing. Then she stood in the nest and looked down 

 to see what was there, exactly like a brooding hen. I gave her the 

 slightest little push and she hopped to the edge of the nest. That 

 broke the spell of the brooding fever which had bound her and 

 she was lost in the thicket. And I would have given much to recall 

 her, for her first nestling was just struggling through the shell. 

 That explained her conduct. I had approached her at precisely 

 the psychological moment, when, knowing she had not been 

 harmed previously, she would stay. There was no use for a study 

 of a nest with so small a bird in it and I removed my camera with- 

 out waiting to close it or take it down. Before driving away I 

 took a last peep and she was back in the nest and just settling to 

 brood again. 



READY FOR THE MERCIES OF A WORLD NONE TOO TENDER 



159 



