134 WILD LIFE AND THE CAMERA 



with a will, and in a few hours the unwelcome egg 

 had almost vanished from sight. 



It had been forced into the bottom of the nest, 

 and a new floor was being laid over it. Nearly 

 two days passed before the results were to the 

 satisfaction of the imposed-upon birds, and then 

 the mother bird laid one egg a white egg with 

 shell so thin that the yolk tinged it with a delicate 

 pinkish hue ; about its larger end were eight or 

 nine tiny dark specks, which served to accentuate 

 the purity of the white. The following morning 

 the bird commenced incubating this solitary egg, 

 and after the regular time had elapsed a small, 

 helpless, pink bird took the place of the egg. Not 

 having any others with whom to share its food it 

 received more than usually falls to the lot of a 

 young bird, and therefore grew with wonderful 

 rapidity. In six days rows of pin feathers covered 

 its fat little body ; in two more days these feathers 

 had broken from their envelopes and partly covered 

 the bare places. The youngster was evidently 

 thinking of leaving his comfortable home, for I 

 found him on the ninth day sitting on the edge 

 of the nest taking in the general appearance of 

 things. The next day he felt sufficient confidence 

 in his strength to make his bow to the great world 

 of trees, and sunshine, and caterpillars, and all other 

 things that must be of interest to a fledgeling. By 

 instinct he knew of enemies and would remain 

 motionless in the presence of danger, trusting in 

 his delicate pearly white and soft greenish-brown 

 colours not to betray him to the enemy, human or 

 otherwise. Instinct, too, told him how to fly, but 



