CHIFF-CHAFF 
her brood in the morning as soon as there is sufficient light, 
about a quarter to four, that is to say, an hour or so after 
dawn. Her routine of feeding alters day by day, according 
to the growth of her offspring. For the first day or so she 
will bring one supply of food, then remain on the nest brood- 
ing her young for a period of about twelve minutes, then 
again go in search of the one supply, and so on. During the 
next stage, when the young are a few days old, she will bring 
food twice or perhaps three times, then remain on the nest 
for the same period as before; thus the food supply increases 
day by day until it becomes almost continuous. I have care- 
fully noted the actual time spent in brooding her offspring, 
and have found this period of twelve minutes adhered to with 
remarkable accuracy, varying only a minute one way or the 
other. The feces is carried away, but not each time that 
food is brought, and deposited some distance from the nest, 
or else eaten. 
She frequently uses her call-note when approaching the 
nest, but this may be due to my presence. When on the 
nest brooding her young she sings quickly and quietly to 
herself—this often just before she leaves the nest—and_ it 
sounds very much lke a quiet purring note, which can be 
heard only a few feet away. 
Her nervousness at any human presence varies very 
considerably. If you take up a position near the nest at 
dawn before she leaves it, she will not be so nervous; if, on 
the other hand, you are later and arrive while food is being 
brought, she will sometimes be more nervous, resenting your 
presence; and again, after you have been there some con- 
siderable time, she will suddenly be seized with a nervous 
fit, which takes her some time to overcome; thus she will 
work backwards and forwards up to the nest, approaching even 
to within a few inches, and as rapidly retreating, but unable 
apparently to summon up courage to make the final effort 
to reach it. 
It is interesting to notice the manner in which the nest 
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