Page:The British Warblers A History with Problems of Their Lives - 8 of 9.djvu/35

 just hatched, brooding occupies a considerable part of the parents' time, but as they increase in growth so it becomes of less importance. Apparently there is no order in the feeding of the young, as a rule the more persistent obtain the larger share of the food. Their activity is probably proportionate to their hunger, and the one that is the more active in stretching up its neck is the more likely to secure the food. Sometimes one, or perhaps two of the brood receive an unequal share, and I watched an individual on one occasion secure the food ten times in succession. The parent may place the food in the throat of one of the offspring, withdraw it in a few seconds, and finally replace it or even transfer it to another individual. In a case of this description there is generally some hesitation on the part of the young bird in swallowing, due perhaps to the fact that it does not really require the food; and to the keen perceptual powers of the parent the absence of the proper muscular movements involved may be a guide as to its own further behaviour. Inasmuch as the suspicion of the birds never seems to be wholly allayed so long as one remains sufficiently near the nest to observe their behaviour, it may be contended that the unequal distribution of the food is an unnatural proceeding brought about by abnormal circumstances. If the method here referred to were peculiar to this one species. I should be inclined to grant this probability, but, far from being peculiar, it is the usual procedure adopted by other species, some of which are not suspicious whilst carrying out their routine of activities in the presence of an onlooker. Again and again one can observe the more persistent individual receive the larger share of the food, and one can notice that the persistency with which it stretches out its neck and struggles in the direction of the parent is in accordance with the length of time it had previously been without food. The fæces are carried away and dropped some distance from the nest.

Concerning the song, there is not very much to be said.