216 BIRD LIFE GLIMPSES 



he turns and zigzags about, as does a fly-catcher, and 

 certainly seems to be doing so. There is the attempt, 

 at least, and would he attempt what he was not equal 

 to ? I have no doubt, myself, that he performs this 

 feat, and yet what a wonderful feat it is ! Both 

 birds now feed the young for the female has been 

 collecting, for some time, again. Now, instead of, or 

 besides, flies, each bird has in its bill a number of 

 long, slender, white things, which hang down on each 

 side of it, and must, I think, be grubs of some sort, 

 though 1 do not know what. But stay beneficence 

 again ! are they not flies in their entirety indeed, 

 but oh optimism and general satisfactoriness ! fly 

 entrails, protruding, bursting, hanging, forced out by 

 the cruel beak ? Yes, that is it, it is plain now too 

 plain and some of the flies are moving. I have 

 seen a wasp tear open and devour a bluebottle a 

 savage sight and it looked something the same. 

 But all hail, maternal affection ! and appetite ! to 

 bring in the wasp. "Banquo and Macbeth, all hail ! " 

 I believe that most birds that feed their young 

 with insects brought in the bill, collect them in this 

 way. Indeed the habit is common throughout the 

 bird-world, and may be observed, equally, in the 

 blackbird or thrush, with worms, and in the puffin, 

 with fish in this last case, perhaps, we see the feat 

 in its perfection. The smallest of our woodpeckers 

 I have watched bringing cargo after cargo of live, 

 struggling things to his hole, but the green wood- 

 pecker, for a reason which, for aught I know, I 

 shall be the first to make known, does not do this. 

 From behind some bushes which quite hid me, and 

 which commanded the nest, I have watched the 



