Behaviour of Birds 



quite fearless of man. Two pairs of WHEAT- 

 EARS nested, and reared their broods, not far 

 from Krithia, in a bank which was constantly 

 being plastered with bullets and bursting 

 shells (Country Life, S.ii.ig). 



More than once a shrapnel shell appeared 

 to burst among a flock of birds, but the 

 actual damage done could never be ascer- 

 tained. On one occasion a sergeant in the 

 R.A.M.C. found a LARK incapacitated from 

 flying by a slight wound in the wing. It was 

 easily caught and kept in an old biscuit tin, 

 where it was fed on crumbs of army biscuit 

 moistened with water. In a few days the 

 wing was healed and the bird released (Ob- 

 server, 2.1.1 6). 



ITALY 



The behaviour of the birds on the Italian 

 front has not, as far as I know, provoked any 

 comment. 



A PIGEON, which as a chick had been blown 

 out of its nest and had fallen at the feet of a 

 British gunner, was hand-reared and fed by 

 him until it became so attached to his bat- 



137 



