EL CAPITAN 
on the forehead, which remained entirely 
bare even after they were fully fledged. 
When twelve days old they began to stand 
up, after the manner of young birds, and to 
tease for food on any approach to the nest, 
often with most coaxing chirps. The food 
carried to the nest was nearly all picked up 
from the water and the decaying vegetation 
among the rushes. The mother frequently 
walked out on the lily-pads, and filled her 
beak with the little black beetles always to be 
found there. As the babies grew older, 
dragon-flies and butterflies were fed them, 
the latter apparently having the wings torn 
ofl* by the mother before being given to the 
young. I have no proof of this except what 
the field-glasses afforded, and I am not en- 
tirely sure of its accuracy. The birds were 
not especially shy, but they were difficult to 
watch on account of the constant motion of 
the rushes in front of the nest. These I did 
not wish to cut down for fear of exposing 
the little home to cruel eyes. 
There is a spirit of reckless daring inher- 
4 49 
