WILD BIRD EXERCISE 



259 



and by focussing a tall grass-stem near, on which 

 they kept perching, I was able to get several good 

 photographs. Their method of reaching the young 

 was peculiar ; 

 for, returning 

 with a beakful 

 of food, they 

 settled on a 

 reed, and while 

 this swung to 

 and fro with 

 the weight, they 

 slowly twisted 

 round in a sort 

 of spiral man- 

 ner, and with 

 each turn got 

 several inches 

 nearer the 

 ground ; and 

 as the reed 

 bent, the tail 

 would be 

 spread out and 

 balanced itself. 



REED-BUNTING SLIDING DOWN REED. 



raised or lowered while the bird 

 This was a very pretty piece of 

 wild-bird exercise. 



For about every six times that the hen fed her 



