EFI^CT OF EXPOSURE ON THE YOUNG 183 



happened to be watching the Yellow Buntings 

 on Hartlebury Common — 200 acres of Upper 

 Soft Red Sandstone, profusely overgrown with 

 cross-leaved heath {Erica tetralix), Ung {Calluna 

 vulgaris), and furze (Ulex) — in one corner of 

 which eight males had established adjoining 

 territories covering some fifteen acres of ground. 

 The males obtained mates towards the end of 

 March or at the beginning of April ; nests were 

 built in the middle of May, and the successful 

 pairs hatched out their young in June. On 

 the 10th June the weather became exceptionally 

 cold, and during the next ten days the tempera- 

 ture fell at times to 40° F. during the daytime. 

 Slight frosts were registered at night in the 

 district, and the young bracken, which covered 

 the Common in places, had the appearance of 

 having been scorched and eventually withered 

 away. At the coldest period of this cold spell 

 the young were hatched in two of the nests — in 

 the first one on the 10th June, and in the second 

 a day or so later ; and on the morning of the 10th 

 June, having found a suitable position near the 

 first nest, I began to watch the movements of 

 the parents, with the intention of keeping some 

 record of their behaviour each day so long as 

 the young needed attention. An hour passed 

 without their appearing, and on examining the 

 young I found that they were cold, feeble, and 

 unresponsive, but the female presently arrived 

 and went to the nest. Later in the day the 

 young were lively and responded freely when 

 the nest was approached, but nevertheless I was 



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