THE BULLFINCH 91 



recognize me as strange and dangerous, crouching 

 low in the nest as I approached them and remaining 

 motionless until I was hidden in the tent. Once 

 I was out of sight, they sat up, raised their heads, 

 stared about, fidgeted, preened their fast-growing 

 feathers, dozed, woke up again, yawned and 

 stretched, in short passed the time as best they 

 could until the return of their dilatory parents. 

 When they heard, or rather felt, them coming, 

 what a change came over the family ! All five 

 heads shot up into the air, pointing in the same 

 direction, then as the hen appeared on one side 

 of the nest, and the cock on the other, they 

 quivered all over in eager anticipation. The old 

 birds would regard them for a moment, when you 

 could see how swollen and distended their throats 

 were with supplies ; then the cock fed one, and 

 afterwards a second, pushing his beak down their 

 gaping throats and pumping up the food, while 

 his mate did the same for the two on her side of 

 the nest. The food having been delivered, the pair 

 usually stood and looked at their family for a few 

 moments, watching to see if matters sanitary 

 wanted attention, and generally each carried some 

 excrement away. It is noteworthy that the 

 droppings of nestlings are usually coated with a 

 non-adhesive slimy covering, so that they do not 

 stick to, or dirty anything, with which they may 

 be brought in contact, hence the old birds are 

 able to keep the nest clean without soiling them- 

 selves. 



I have already mentioned how distressed the 



