214 WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



uttermost extent to receive an equal share of the 

 food the parent bird had brought. 



Directly this was consumed they all subsided, 

 and the old bird attended to the sanitary arrange- 

 ments of her household, and then flew away in 

 search of more food. 



Presently the cock came along with a large 

 worm which he had carefully chopped into several 

 pieces ready for impartial distribution amongst his 

 promising offspring. He, too, seemed to regard 

 cleanliness with a scrupulous eye, and after doing 

 his share of the necessary work, he retired to a 

 neighbouring elm tree and piped a few mellow 

 notes. 



When the hen returned again a heavy shower 

 of rain was falling, and after she had distributed 

 her harvest of worms she hopped into the nest, and 

 hustling about a while with gentle care for the 

 chicks beneath her, settled down with her wings 

 spread over the sides of her nest to allow the rain 

 drops to run off, and the happiest look of security 

 and contentment about her I ever saw in any bird 

 in my life. Her head, back, wings, and tail were 

 covered with great crystal beads of water, which 

 rolled down and away like quicksilver in obedience 

 to the laws of gravitation directly they received 

 the weight of an additional drop of rain. We 

 managed, in spite of a very poor light, to make a 

 photograph of her in this condition, as shown in 

 the bottom left-hand corner of the combination page 

 of illustrations. 



When the shower was over the cock came along 

 with a fresh supply of food, and the hen imme- 

 diately hopped off and stood on the edge of the 

 nest and watched him feed the young ones. It 

 was a sweetly pretty picture, and my brother has 



