F. BARBER-STARKEY : WOOD-LARK. 11 



at the lens, one of them approached and commenced to feed 

 the young, the other keeping at a respectful distance. 

 At the noise of the shutter, the bird that was feeding the 

 young flew straight up into the air about three feet and 

 settled again within a couple of yards of the nest ; I 

 remained motionless and very soon she came back, and 

 after cleaning out the nest flew away, the other bird 

 following. 



I now changed my plate, and after about five minutes 

 the hen bird was back again (Plate I.) ; her mate returned 

 with her, but although on this occasion and several times 

 afterwards, I did not release the shutter in the hope 

 that he, too, would come to the nest, he never dared to 

 face the lens, but stood at about five yards distance, with 

 his bill full of grubs, and there he remained until his 

 mate had fed the young, when he flew away with her. 



I have presumed that this shy bird was the male, but 

 as the two birds seemed exactly to resemble one another 

 [ could not be sure. 



