188 THE BOOK OF THE OPEN AIR 



score of dead tits, all terribly emaciated, because of its penchant for ants. An 

 and in some of the corpses the breast- ant-hill once found, its catering is 

 bone seemed almost to have penetrated relieved both of search and pursuit, 

 its scanty covering of skin. Again, the two tiresome factors in the nursery 

 eight young tits would require no demands of birds. I find that if an 

 more nutriment than five greedy young ant-hill is cut open for a pair of wry- 

 robins, and a tit can catch as many necks, they cease to search the tree- 

 insects as a robin. trunks, for which their structure is 



3. SMALLER WARBLERS (chiff-chaffs, adapted, and are quite eager to take 

 willow wrens, etc.). Here again it is all their supplies from the ground. 

 no more difficult to feed eight small This is a case in which a bird evidently 

 warblers than five large ones, the reproduces itself as much as possible, 

 appetites being less and the caterer as the wryneck will lay two or three 

 equally agile. A wood-wren usually times in a season if encouraged by 

 lays six or seven eggs ; she can rear robbery. I can conceive of no special 

 her family as easily as a redstart can dangers attending it, but in spite of 

 rear five ; and these tiny, delicate its enormous reproduction, it becomes 

 species succumb in far greater num- no commoner, so the dangers clearly 

 bers during migration than their more exist there is no over production 

 stalwart relatives. among them. Some future savant 



4. THE NIGHTJAR. An unvarying may inform me that an ant diet in- 

 clutch of two eggs is a challenge to any duces cancer. 



theorist ; they are not always cock and 6. DOVES AND PIGEONS. From ob- 



hen, as the dove tribe are supposed to servations with both tamed and wild 



be in a natural condition ; they are breeds I am convinced that the old 



very voracious, and a larger number idea contains more than sentiment, 



would be easily seen on the bare ground. The young of a dove are almost invari- 



But neither of these explanations is ably male and female, are both reared, 



conclusive against an occasional sing- and when reared, company together 



let or three, which are so far unre- afterwards and mate the next season, 



corded. The use of pigeon rings on nestlings in 



5. THE WRYNECK. The clutch of a wild state confirms this theory, 

 these birds is nine. It has a huge ad- 7. PLOVERS AND MOST OTHER 

 vantage over other insectivorous birds WADERS. A peculiarly interesting 



