go Bird - Lore
the young birds during the afternoon. and, wishing to see how it was carried, took up my position on the steps near the nest. In a short time one of the parents alighted in the tree, but discovered me in an instant and gave two low calls, the familiar 'tu»reé." of doubt and caution, and another of three notes with the accent on the first. At the sound the young birds at once set up their chatter, but the parent left the tree and not until the fourth attempt did she venture to feed them. But I had seen how the food was carried: in the mouth. apparently under the tongue, for the throat just below the bill bulged out almost like a pouch, though it did not seem to interfere with her voice. This was at 12.40 o'clock, and I then returned to the house to watch through the shutter of a convenient window. It was L45 when the chattering of the young announced the return of the old bird, and after she had disposed of her mouthful of food She crossed over to the branches near the steps and carefully assured herself that the intruder was no longer there. I use the feminine, believing that the female did the greater part, if not all of the feeding, for, though I never could detect any difference in the coloring of the two birds, one seemed less timid. and only once did I see the two approaching the nest together; if the male had been assisting he surely would have chanced there occa» sionally at about the same time as his mare.
During the rest of that afternoon the feeding times were as follows: 202, 2.30, 2.55. 3.25. 4, 4.12, 4.22 (I wondered if the nest of some un— willing Thrush or Robin had not furnished the last three mouthfuls), 5.10, 6, 710. Probably I missed one feeding between 6 and 7.20, having been away from the window at that time.
Three days later the young all left the nest, but remained in the neigh- borhood for several days, their voices becoming daily more like the parents’, and on June 12 we saw them for the last time.
