NESTLINGS 



851 



Over two thousand leathers have been 

 found inside this httle palace. 



It is a real joy of country hfe to see 

 such a family of Tits following their 

 parents, in their curious way. hide and 

 seek or "follow the leader" fasliion 

 through the hedgerows and fields and 

 leafy woods. They keep together in 

 this merry march, uttering a quaint 

 httle monosyllable, until the spring, when 



ground, or require to battle for Ufe at an 

 early stage, are early well protected with 

 feather or down, while birds reared in an 

 enclosed and comfortable nest have their 

 down coats in all stages of degeneracy. 



Notice how like a powder-puff is 

 the fluffy youngster of a Solan Goose or 

 (iannet. His blanket coat is ot" the most 

 pleasing white down. A white spot on 

 the tip of the upper mandible shows the 



YOUNG SWALLOWS DISCUSSING THE WEATHER. 



the joys of pairing break up the happy 

 family circle. 



We have all at some time. I hope. 

 made the joyful chscovery of a nest of 

 young Thrushes. The photograph (p. 855) 

 shows them inquisitively watching the 

 photographer and camera, and no doubt 

 wondering if this is a new feeding 

 machine. While taking this photo the 

 old birds, as is their wont, were scream- 

 ing around, much concerned about the 

 fate of their babies. 



Scotland has not been honoured with 

 the Nightingale, and has to wax eloquent 

 over the singing capacity of her Thrushes, 

 which have been well called the "Scottish 

 nightingales." The lovely mottled breast 

 of these handsome birds, which is con- 

 spicuous for its beauty, is seen in the 

 young in the photograph. When very 

 young warm nest birds do not require 

 so much down, and are born practically 

 naked. The ])rinri])le in Nature seems to 

 be that clucks which are born on the 



weapon by which he hammers his way 

 to the outside world from the inside of 

 the egg. When younger he was an ugly, 

 little, black, sprawling rascal as bare on 

 the skin as the back of your hand, and 

 by sound and appearance not unlike a 

 little puppy dog. To be down among 

 them on the cliffs of the Bass Rock or 

 Ailsa Craig is an experience unforgettable. 

 The photograph of the Solans sitting on 

 their nests (p. 850) gives you an idea of 

 the boklness of these magnificent birds. 

 I could have touched them while taking 

 the picture. The parent Solan or (iannet, 

 by means of his gular pouch, is able to 

 deposit a fairly large quantity of food 

 when feeding his family of one. On this 

 food, composed of herring fry, about three 

 inches of length, the youngster gorges him- 

 self. You will find balls about one and a 

 half inches in diameter on the edges of 

 many of the nests. These have been 

 regurgitated by the parent birtls, and 

 constitute a granary for their young. 



