CHAPTER IX 



GROUND AND UNDERGROUND NESTS 



THERE is little in the whole realm of nature which evokes 

 our admiration more than the craftsmanship of certain birds. 

 Some, 'tis true, making no nests, lay their eggs upon the 

 ground or on some bare rock ; others scrape a hollow in 

 the ground, a mere excuse for a nest. Some nests, again, 

 are rough and untidy in the extreme, but they only serve 

 to emphasise the good workmanship of the neater, more 

 ingenious structures. The village boy who carelessly 

 destroys the hedgerow nest rarely pauses to consider that, 

 at one stroke, he is utterly and often literally casting to 

 the winds the result of much effort and no little skill. 



Of the simple, shall we say primitive, nests we have 

 a large selection from which to choose. Birds like the 

 penguin and the guillemot may safely be dubbed the least 

 skilful of artificers ; in fact they build no nests at all, but 

 simply lay their eggs on the bare rock. Exactly how 

 and why the guillemot's eggs remain in their precarious 

 positions on the side of some beetling cliff we shall relate 

 in our chapter on birds' eggs. The case of the penguin is 

 extraordinary. Not only does this bird omit to build a nest, 

 but he, or she, uses his or her feet as supports for the 

 single egg. When about to sit, the egg is rolled up on to 

 the upper sides of the feet and the sitting bird squats upon 

 its charge. The hen does most of the sitting, but the 

 cock bird takes his turn. 



When the change is made from one bird to the other, 

 it is carried out with as much ceremonial as the change of 

 guard outside a royal palace. The cock bows to the hen 

 when about to relieve her, she returns the compliment ; 

 he then carefully scrutinises his charge and finally takes 



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