132 



Wild Bird 



s. 



back and forth, flying only when close pressed, and then always away from her nest. On 

 one occasion this was kept up from ten to fifteen minutes, and did not cease until I 

 withdrew. 



My experiments at the first nest were begun on June I2th, by clearing away the 

 bushes in front. The tent was set up two feet away on the morning of the 15th, 

 while the little hen was still sitting over the eggs. She would dart out of the nest, 

 return and take a peep inside, sit for a few minutes and be off. When all was quiet she 

 could be seen jumping in and out repeatedly, as if equally uncomfortable whether 

 away from her treasures or hugging them close. In the course of half an hour it was 



easy to photograph the 

 sitting bird, who now 

 paid little heed to the 

 shutter, and remained un- 

 disturbed on the nest 

 during my preparations 

 for leaving. 



On the following day 

 the old bird was still per- 

 sistently sitting, and even 

 allowed me to erect the 

 tent close beside her 

 without budging. When 

 finally driven off by the 

 hand, she uttered a few 

 tseeps and returned in a 

 moment. Once the male 

 came, and as I supposed, 

 placed an insect in the 

 nest, when his mate, who 

 stood close b\', hopped 

 to the brim, put down her 

 head, and as I thought 

 ate the food, but no, she 

 was feeding the little ones, for she was now a mother. Four young birds, scarcely 

 bigger than bumblebees, had just emerged from their shells. They must have been 

 hatched since noon of the previous day. 



On the third day these Warblers paid no attention to cither the tent or the operator, 

 and before going away I was able to touch the bird on the nest, though not without 

 sending her off. The fourth day found their confidence undiminished, for the sitting^ 

 bird eagerly seized a grasshopper which I offered from the hand stretched through the 

 tent window. Four days later still I spent nearly seven hours with these Warblers, and 

 in the afternoon began to test more systematically the strength of the intimacy which we 

 had cultivated. Taking a long twig in the hand and reaching through the window in the 

 front of the tent, I touched the old bird. She resented this but little and when her back 

 was scratched seemed to like the sensation. Then I left the tent to look for insects, and 



Fig. 127. Offering grasshopper to a Chestnut-sided Warbler who has been tamed 

 without use of a cage. It was possible to approach this bird and stroke her bacic 

 with the hand, without giving alarm. 



