
lifted off the nest while the stage of incubation is being re- 
corded. They hover on the fringe of the nest in great excite- 
ment, ready to settle down as soon as molestation is over. 
The male usually remains at his station during the incuba- 
tion period. Normally, he was not seen at the nesting site 
until hatching was in progress, although one male was flushed 
from the vicinity of the nest a day or two before hatching. In 
the very late nests the males were never seen in the vicinity . 
of the nests. 
The female on a nest where the eggs were addled finally 
deserted it after 25 days. By this time the winnowing intensity 
of the male had decreased in the twilight period to about three- 
minute intervals. During the three days after the female deserted — 
the nest the pair made a good deal of noise in the vicinity, and 
it was suspected that the male was trying to drive her back to the 
nest. 
Hatching.--The chick may be heard pecking 2); hours before | 
actual hatching. By the time the shell is pipped the chick's call | 
is audible 15 to 20 feet away. From pipping to emergence usually 
takes about an hour, but in several cases took considerably less. 
An hour after emergence the chick has dried off and becomes rather 
active. 
There seems to be a considerable interval between the hatching 
of the first one or two eggs and the remaining ones. This is shown 
in Table 1, which records the hatching chronology of five of the 
study nests. The interval may be an important factor in the wel- 
fare of the chick, as indicated later under Parental Care. — 
Table 1. Sequence of hatch 
Nest No. ist. chick 2nd. chick 3rd. chick \th. chick 
10 12430 p. m. 2:30p.m. 3:45 p.m ~<:50 p.m. 
11 | 12:45 p. m. 1:15 p. m. (not hatched 6:45 Ds me ) 
12 9:00 a. m. 11:59 ac mn. 2:00 pw m :hS p.m. 
13 1:45 p. m. 6:30 p. nm. 7:50 pw m. 8:20 p.m. 
18 12:01 p. m. 3:45 p. m. 4:h5 p.m. -- 
res 
