488 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



lies some three or four inches from the bird, the farthest more 

 than twice that distance. Eyes closed, opening very slightly at 

 any noise of rustling, &c, which I could not avoid making. 

 This time the wings cross each other over the tail, which pro- 

 jects about an inch beyond them ; sometimes they lie (probably 

 crossed) under the tail. Till about 4.30 bird sat quite motionless, 

 with the chicks entirely hidden under it. Then one of the 

 chicks began to grow restless, and several times crawled out 

 beyond the parent bird's breast. It seemed to want food, and 

 on one occasion in particular stretched itself up and touched its 

 mother's beak (for I assume that the bird which sits all day on 

 the eggs and young is the mother) with its own, as if seeking to 

 be fed. But the mother, much to my disappointment, did not 

 respond. The feathers of the old bird's throat were to-day 

 more still ; once only, whilst I was there, she twitched them, 

 but not in quite the same way. The band or gorget of feathers 

 just under the bird's throat is evidently very responsive to the 

 slightest movement of the throatal muscles. 



At 5 p.m. came away, disappointed in not having seen the 

 chicks fed, which I thought might perhaps take place occasionally 

 in the daytime. 



8.5 p.m. — Returned and found bird in much the same position, 

 but either it had moved a little back or pushed out another piece 

 of shell, which now lay just beside it. Eyes closed. Chicks 

 not visible. 



8.40. — Chicks came out from under the mother's breast, 

 jumped up to her beak, and were fed by her in the plainest 

 manner — sparingly, however. The chicks were importunate, but 

 the parent bird by no means bountiful, doubtless for good reasons 

 of her own. 



8.45. — Partner flew up, and the other one flew off silently 

 whilst he was still in the air. He settled close by the chicks, 

 and walked on to them. They immediately sprang up at his bill 

 (as just before with the mother), and he fed one of them by 

 regurgitation. This time the process was still more unmis- 

 takable than before, for, as the old bird fed the chick more 

 thoroughly, his motions were more emphatic, and exactly like a 

 Dove's. 



8.50. — Bird flew off. In another two minutes a bird (probably 



