REED WARBLER 



being carried to the young. It is not an uncommon habit 

 amongst many species, and it may occur at any moment after 

 mating has taken place, for the male to feed the female ; and 

 so it happened that while a pair were carrying food to their 

 young and were within a short distance of one another, the 

 male clinging to a reed stretched out his neck to the female, 

 who was also clinging to a reed but facing him, and attempted 

 to feed her in the usual way. The attitude of the female was 

 characteristic ; she uttered her quiet subdued note while at 

 the same time fluttering her wings after the manner of a 

 young bird. The male also uttered a call-note. Both of 

 them had their bills full of insects at the time, and it is quite 

 clear that the female did not require the food, otherwise she 

 would have swallowed the insects she was carrying ; and it 

 is also clear that if she had opened her bill to receive food 

 from her mate much of that which she was carrying would 

 have fallen out. 



The second incident was even more trifling. One of the 

 birds with its bill fall of insects attempted to peck at some- 

 thing which was apparently irritating its leg ; this of course it 

 was unable to do owing to the large number of insects in its 

 bill, and consequently it seemed completely puzzled, again and 

 again bending its head forwards, and, while examining its leg, 

 moving its head as if on the point of pecking, but its mental 

 capacity did not seem equal to the occasion. 



After the young are a few da}^s old, and as they become 

 more active, they respond more spontaneously to the approach 

 of: their parents. But they do not seem able to distinguish 

 their own parents from other individuals of the same species. 

 Even a gentle swaying of the reeds is sometimes sufficient to 

 cause them to stretch up their necks and open their gapes, so 

 that in a strong wind when the reeds are blown this way and 

 that, they seem to be unaware of the approach of a parent 

 until it is actually on the edge of the nest itself. The noise of 

 the wind no doubt prevents them from hearing the call-note 

 which they recognise and respond to. 



53 



