766 
BIBD-LIFE. 
earthwards, tail outspread, accompanied with a fanning 
and rustling of the wings, to which is added a deep, 
muffled, blustering call,—“hoo hoo hoo,”—which some¬ 
what resembles the cooing of a Pigeon. While the eggs 
are being laid and the hen is sitting, the male keeps 
watch, remaining true to his allegiance, never pursuing 
other females of his species. The hen bird is alone 
occupied with the business of incubation, but as soon as 
the young are hatched the male takes mother and chicks 
again under his charge. The nest is always situated in 
some level field, far remote from any village,—as far, 
indeed, from the presence of man as possible. Old birds 
are always more cautious in the selection of a nesting- 
place than younger ones, though these latter cannot be 
accused of carelessness in their choice. As soon as the 
young corn is high enough to hide the female when 
sitting, she scrapes a small hollow in the ground in some 
large, isolated field: this cavity is occasionally lined 
with stubble or a few plant-stalks. In the middle of May 
she lays her two rather large eggs: these are of a pale 
gray-green, covered with smeared spots of a darker 
shade; they are strong, coarse-grained, and devoid of 
polish. It is rare that three eggs are to be found in a 
nest, and even in such cases there are never more than 
two of them hatched. The female always approaches 
the nest with the greatest caution, and glides off it with 
similar care : she sits hard for thirty days, during which 
time she is often visited by the male, who does not, 
however, feed her; she seeks her own food amongst the 
high corn, in as close proximity to the nest as possible. 
The hen bird glides quietly from the nest on the approach 
of danger, and nest and eggs are instantly forsaken if 
the latter have been touched by the hand of man, 
