332 TEE ZOOLOGIST 



horseback, and just as he had made up his mind which of the 

 four he would take they all soared out into the valley. Although 

 no further advanced than ours, it was only at 7 p.m. that he 

 looked in at shepherd's on his way home to say that it was only 

 when he and the horse were nearly dead-beat that he managed 

 to secure it about ten miles from the nest ; so our three hours' 

 job was easy in comparison. At Earl's suggestion the shepherd 

 is to put a scare up by nest each morning on his way past at 

 5 a.m. to prevent young being fed before our arrival. 



27th. — Earl left me in tent at 1 p.m., after we had taken 

 down shepherd's scare, which consists of a kite's tail. Female, 

 very shy of coming on to nest, stood on burnt patch with beak 

 full of food, slobbered a lot of saliva. Young did not shout 

 much. Twice saw them yawn during afternoon. Not fed. 



28th. — Windy and cold ; sun only at intervals. Snowstorm 

 in afternoon. Earl took refuge with me in tent. Only fed 

 once. Left at 4 p.m. Light bad. Fells all covered with snow. 



29th. — Took down scare at 1 p.m. Old bird back in fifteen 

 minutes. Fed young twice in three minutes. Sun obscured. 

 As Earl was not due till 2 p.m., I thought I had better come 

 out in case they got filled up. Couldn't find Earl, so went back 

 into tent. She evidently does not mind me, as she was back in 

 ten minutes. Unfortunately she hesitated long enough on the 

 burnt patch for sun to go in. She came again, but after a long 

 interval, and no sun. Thundered ; went home in a snowstorm, 

 with the largest flakes I have ever seen, all about the size of 

 half a crown ; going down a rough road with first one and then 

 the other eye blocked was quite exciting. 



30th. — Very cold, cloudy, but with fairly long intervals of 

 sunshine. We have for some time thought that the female must 

 keep a store of food near the nest, as the intervals would not 

 allow of her going to male for it. This must be so, as Earl 

 says that during last few days he could always tell when young 

 were being fed, as on such occasions the male accompanies him 

 wherever he goes, scolding him all the time. Female fed young 

 at 2p.m., and again in a few minutes; so I came out and 

 changed plates, and, as she returned again in a few minutes, I 

 took her again just as she stood still looking at them after she 

 had fed them. This turned out to be the only decent negative 



