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Bird - Lore 



a Quail would make a young Cowbird a poor foster mother, or maybe the 

 noise of the focal-plane shutter startled her, for she soon flew away to seek 

 some more suitable home for her future offspring. 



After this incident there was a long, warm wait, but finally, about 2 p. m. 

 the Quail came slyly through the grass and entered her nest. She repeated 

 the tactics previously described, leaving at the slightest sound but promptly 



"ON LEAVING THE NEST SHE STOPPED AS IF TO LISTEN" 



returning. Sometimes as she left the nest she stopped for a moment as if to 

 listen, giving just time enough for a fifth-second exposure. On one occasion 

 she remained longer than usual; she appeared to be arranging her eggs, and 

 as she turned about in the crowded nest she accidentally dislodged one which 

 rolled over the edge. She came out at once, as if to recover it, but perhaps 

 the shutter frightened her for she left promptly. After that she gave the egg 

 no more attention and it remained outside until I replaced it before leaving. 

 Toward 4 o'clock she settled down and no noise that I could make seemed 

 seriously to disturb her. She yawned occasionally, pecked now and then at 

 some insect that had invaded her domain, but for the most part sat quite 



