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Mr. Maurice Amsler,



male disgorge the remainder of his food to one of the young, after

which she did likewise, and immediately settled down again.


Any approach on my part was much resented by the cock,

who at once interposed himself between me and the nest and made

ugly faces at me ; if he was using bad language, which I strongly

suspect, it was done entirely sotto voce.


Up to June 22nd I never saw the hen off her young, and it

was not until the 27th that I was able to get a glimpse of the chicks.

There were two, about the size of a plucked Sparrow ; the hen from

now on occasionally left the nest, but always perched hard by, and

the arrival of the cock with food was a signal for her to return to her

family; the male did most of the feeding, the hen contenting herself

with picking up bits of food spilt on the edge of the nest, these she

either swallowed herself or gave to the young.


On July 1st, at the age of twelve days, the chicks were about

the size of a Thrush, light grey in colour, bills pinkish, quills on

head, back and wings dark grey. During my examination I noticed

the cock squatting in a wire basket at the other end of the shelter,

evidently with the intention of making me think his family was really

there and not in the nest I was inspecting.


Just about this time he began to have a mania for spring-

cleaning or some such nefarious habit; the nest was continually

being tidied, and finally my precious lump of straw, which was

keeping the nest in its place, was ruthlessly pulled out, with the

result that one edge of the nest which was now unsupported began

to be pressed down. I did not know it at the time, hut was soon to

find it out.


On July 5th the chicks had grown considerably since my last

visit; their heads were bristling with greyish-white quills, the eyes

were open — blue-grey feathers showing at the tips of the wing-

quills'.


July 6th : One chick found cold and stiff ; it had crept out of

the nest to the other end of the box and had consequently not been

brooded during the night. This is the bird of which a photo accom¬

panies this article, age eighteen days.


On the following day both birds were very loath to feed the

remaining youngster. In the afternoon I found him on the ground



