218 



WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



and found that upon an average she brought cater- 

 pillars and flies four times in five minutes, and on 

 the occasion of each visit spent from ten to fifteen 

 seconds in attending to the sanitary arrangements 

 of her little establishment. Most birds 



are verv 



NIGHTINGALE ON NEST. 



particular about this part of their duties, and I have 

 known a Robin refuse to fetch grubs to her young 

 ones until she had been allowed an opportunity 

 of cleansing the edge of her nest. Contrary to 

 popular notions, this is a perfectly cleanly operation, 

 as each piece of excrement voided by a young bird 

 is enveloped in a thin gelatinous sack, sufficiently 



