Birds of Britain 



If we retire, however, they will not be long gone ; he will 

 soon fly back, and having ascertained that the danger is over 

 and uttered no warning cry, she will immediately follow, 

 and settling near the nest, run to it and once more cover 

 her eggs. When the young are hatched, however, matters 

 are very different; both birds will then rise, and flying 

 round our heads beseech us with piteous cries to leave their 

 young alone. 



These cries serve the purpose of making the young squat 

 and hide, and their greyish green down with black mottlings 

 so exactly assimilates in colour with the ground, that they 

 are almost impossible to see. The young leave the nest as 

 soon as they are hatched, and utter a feeble cry not unlike 

 that of the adults ; at first their parents feed them most 

 carefully, picking up grubs, flies, spiders, or any other insect 

 that comes their way, while the young run up and take it 

 from their beaks, but in a few days they feed themselves, 

 though still carefully watched and fed by their parents. 

 When they are full grown, at about six weeks old, they 

 collect in large flocks and wander over the country. In 

 October and November enormous flocks come over from the 

 Continent and settle often for three weeks or a month in a 

 particular field, which is usually resorted to yearly by these 

 birds. As winter comes on they wander about according 

 to the weather, wherever they can find suitable food, but 

 with the first warm days of February the return north 

 begins, and March finds them back once more in their 

 summer home. 



The upper parts are of a beautiful metallic green, the 

 crown of the head and crest being almost black. Quills 



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