90 WOODLAND CREATURES 



long trembling necks, they are grotesquely reptilian 

 in appearance, their clown-like tufts of down 

 adding to their weird appearance." This appear- 

 ance altered as rapidly as their size increased, 

 and they soon had stumpy feathers showing, the 

 first appearing on the eighth day, when I wrote 

 that '' though comparatively helpless yet, their 

 eye-slits only beginning to open, they have some 

 idea of trying to preen themselves. One made a 

 valiant effort on the young stumpy feathers that 

 are appearing on its shoulder, but failing in the 

 attempt, yawned widely, and settled down to doze 

 until the old birds came home/' 



They sometimes appeared quite bored with the 

 long waits and would yawn widely. Though the 

 bills of the old birds were so intensely black, those 

 of the young ones were creamy white, only beginning 

 to deepen in hue during their last day or two in 

 the nest, so that even when they left it their beaks 

 were but slate-coloured. Latterly the five made 

 more than a nestful, they filled the frail structure 

 to overflowing, bulging over its sides until what 

 was originally a cup became flattened out into a 

 platform of twigs. How they managed to remain 

 safely in, or rather on it, puzzled me; indeed, one 

 youngster did have a narrow escape, for the hen, 

 being startled, left in a hurry, and nearly knocked 

 it out. For a second the nestling balanced pre- 

 cariously on the edge, but a wriggle or two tumbled 

 it back. Once the eyes of the young bullfinches 

 were open, they began to see and to understand 

 what was going on around them. They began to 



