Birds and their Nurslings. 193 



species, differing also in size. There were some from the 

 oak, others from the apple-tree, still others from the haw- 

 thorn ; but the bright green caterpillar of the gooseberry- 

 bush was more numerous than any ; while a long-bodied 

 black fly, of a species unknown to me, formed part of the 

 varied diet designed for the all-devouring chick. No 

 doubt it was having extra rations — all the provender that 

 would have been supplied and otherwise shared by several 

 deceased brothers and sisters, killed by the cow. I no- 

 ticed that the flies, several of which lay at the bottom of 

 the cage, were all dead — this, no doubt, done to hinder 

 their escape while being passed into the beak of the 

 young bird ; but, as already said, the insects in the larval 

 state were all living, as if there was no such fear about 

 them. 



In the end my observations were cut short by the 

 young pipit escaping from the cage, through the " turn- 

 stile" of the seed box, that had been left loose on its 

 hinge. It was evidently shown the way, and helped out, 

 by its painstaking mother ; and I never saw either 

 again. 



Not long, however, did the cage remain empty. In an 

 Irish yew close by was a nest of greenfinches, with young 

 also, well-nigh fledged ; and, curious to note their way of 

 tending their nurslings, I had them transferred withiu 

 the wires. The^ finch being eminently a graminivorous, 

 hard-billed bird, I wished to compare its mode of feeding 

 the young with that of the soft-billed insect-eater. 



In the very first scene there was a notable difference in 

 the behaviour of the two sorts. Though the greenfinch 

 may be called a home bird, usually nesting near the house, 

 the pair operated upon showed far more shy than the 

 pipit, whose haunts are afield. It was a long time before 



o 



