BRITISH WARBLEKS 



indeed the most persistent of workers, never relaxing his 

 efforts to procure food, which he delivers to his mate or young. 



When they finally leave the nest the young are approxi- 

 mately eleven days old. During the first few days of their 

 existence they sleep and receive food, but show little signs of 

 activity ; about the sixth day their feathers are of a consider- 

 able length and show the brown colour upon the back. When 

 about eight days old they stretch themselves, flap their wings, 

 and peck at the insects on their bodies, and a day later they 

 are capable of making considerable noise when the parents 

 bring food, and they also begin to make use of the quiet call 

 note. On the tenth day they can be seen preening their 

 feathers, pecking at the insects both upon their own bodies 

 and upon the heads of one another. The stronger individuals 

 now begin to make excursions from the nest, climbing about the 

 surrounding reeds, only to return shortly, and by the eleventh 

 day they are all, as a rule, sufficiently grown to be able to 

 leave. 



For the first few days after the young are hatched, brooding 

 is of great importance, and it is consequently left in a great 

 measure to the male to collect the necessary food ; this he 

 seeks for the most part in the reeds immediately surrounding 

 the nest, that is to say, in his own particular territory, hunting 

 amongst the tops or at the base, which, in the drier parts, 

 is a fruitful source of supply. Or if in the vicinity of such 

 trees as alders he resorts thereto in company with members of 

 his own and other species, for the tops of such trees seem to 

 be regarded as neutral ground. When he has thus collected 

 a sufficient quantity of insects he returns to the nest, and 

 upon his arrival the female raises her body while he places the 

 food in an open gape ; or sometimes he delivers the whole or 

 part of it to her, and she may then divide it, swallowing part 

 herself and giving part to the young ; or, again, she may pass 

 the whole of it on to her offspring. So that for the first few 

 days he is often compelled to find food both for his mate and 

 young. She, however, does not brood continuously, but leaves 



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