24 



ETON NATURE-STUDY 



FIGURE 159. A closed-in Nesting Box. 



they leave the egg,^ from those which come out in a more or 



less naked condition. Almost any young birds will afford oppor- 

 tunities for a series of interesting 

 observations as to the development 

 of feathers and the way in which 

 these replace the down. Perhaps, 

 however, the more helpless nestlings 

 are the best for the purpose. In the 

 third drawing of the young robins 

 already alluded to, the row of growing 

 feathers round the neck is particularly 

 well seen ; each of them is pushing 

 out the plume of down which it is 



replacing. The fourth drawing represents the stage in which but 



little down is left. 



It is often possible to induce wild birds to nest in boxes provided 



for the purpose. In fact, the young robins which we have figured 



were Imtched within a few yards of the 



table on which these words are being- 

 written. They were the second brood, and 



the open box in which their nest was built 



is shown in figure 160. The previous 



nestlings were reared in a closed box at 



the back of the house (see figure 159) 



which was placed on the bare wall upwards 



of seventeen feet from the ground. The 



weather was at that time much colder 



than when the second clutch of eggs was 



* The young of the mound-building birds are able to fly almost as soon as these 

 are hatched. 



FIGURE 160. A Nesting Box 

 with the side open. 



