GARDEN WARBLER 



just hatched, brooding occupies a considerable part of the 

 parents' time, but as they increase in growth so it becomes 

 of less importance. Apparently there is no order in the 

 feeding of the young, as a rule the more persistent obtain 

 the larger share of the food. Their activity is probably 

 proportionate to their hunger, and the one that is the more 

 active in stretching up its neck is the more likely to secure 

 the food. Sometimes one, or perhaps two of the brood 

 receive an unequal share, and I watched an individual on one 

 occasion secure the food ten times in succession. The parent 

 may place the food in the throat of one of the offspring, with- 

 draw it in a few seconds, and finally replace it or even transfer 

 it to another individual. In a case of this description there 

 is generally some hesitation on the part of the young bird in 

 swallowing, due perhaps to the fact that it does not really 

 require the food ; and to the keen perceptual powers of the 

 parent the absence of the proper muscular movements in- 

 volved may be a guide as to its own further behaviour. 

 Inasmuch as the suspicion of the birds never seems to be 

 wholly allayed so long as one remains sufficiently near the 

 nest to observe their behaviour, it may be contended that 

 the unequal distribution of the food is an unnatural proceeding- 

 brought about by abnormal circumstances. If the method 

 here referred to were peculiar to this one species, I should 

 be inclined to grant this probability, but, far from being 

 peculiar, it is the usual procedure adopted by other species, 

 some of which are not suspicious whilst carrying out their 

 routine of activities in the presence of an onlooker. Again 

 and again one can observe the more persistent individual 

 receive the larger share of the food, and one can notice that 

 the persistency with which it stretches out its neck and 

 struggles in the direction of the parent is in accordance with 

 the length of time it had previously been without food. The 

 faeces are carried away and dropped some distance from the 

 nest. 



Concerning the song, there is not very much to be said. 



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