GREY BRF.ASTKI) M AH TINS IVM 



or more al'tcr 11r\- were (lod^iii^- and darting" about in the 

 air, and some even elamored I'oi' i'oocl after their parents 

 were nesting a<4aiii. Tlie old birds at first perched l)eside 

 tlieir off'si)ring, to feed them, but soon — the yonn«»' birds, 

 learning to grasj) the insect with theii" bills, instead of hav- 

 ing it crammed down their throats — hovered above and 

 forced the young to reach up to seize it when they passed 

 by. Hecoming expert in this and being greedy, the young- 

 sters quickly learned to sally forth to meet their parents and 

 take the food from them in the air. It gradually dawned 

 u})on them, as time went on, that they might secure their 

 food themselves, as w'ell as from their parents. But this came 

 only alter the elders had dropped one or two insects which 

 made the youngsters scramble to secure them before they 

 escaped. 



A few days later the old birds w^ere nesting again. 

 To return to the martins of the bird-house: the young 

 hatched, they were cared for in the orthodox fashion. The 

 entrance to their home was a round opening about two inches 

 in diameter. A cross stick, that projected a foot or more 

 beyond the side of the box, was nailed there, about an inch 

 below, for a perch. 



I watched for the three little ones to make their first 

 appointed trip into the air on the twenty-second day. One 

 finally perched in the doorway and looked about in a dazed 

 fashion at this new^ world never before discovered. Casting 

 a look downward, he decided that it w^as beyond his ability to 

 ever trust himself to the great emptiness beneath. It was far 

 too perilous to attempt the scramble and climb that wxre 

 necessary to gain the outer perch. So there he remained, 

 w^hile his two brothers or sisters vainly pushed and squeezed 

 to get a glimpse, too. 



The parents hovered about, chiri^ing and urging him to 

 chance it, but he remained immovably placed and answered 

 all entreaties with weak little noises. They gave it up and 

 brought food. When he had received a full share, they tried 



