Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 3 (1899).djvu/518

488 lies some three or four inches from the bird, the farthest more than twice that distance. Eyes closed, opening very slightly at any noise of rustling, &c, which I could not avoid making. This time the wings cross each other over the tail, which projects about an inch beyond them; sometimes they lie (probably crossed) under the tail. Till about 4.30 bird sat quite motionless, with the chicks entirely hidden under it. Then one of the chicks began to grow restless, and several times crawled out beyond the parent bird's breast. It seemed to want food, and on one occasion in particular stretched itself up and touched its mother's beak (for I assume that the bird which sits all day on the eggs and young is the mother) with its own, as if seeking to be fed. But the mother, much to my disappointment, did not respond. The feathers of the old bird's throat were to-day more still; once only, whilst I was there, she twitched them, but not in quite the same way. The band or gorget of feathers just under the bird's throat is evidently very responsive to the slightest movement of the throatal muscles.

At 5 p.m. came away, disappointed in not having seen the chicks fed, which I thought might perhaps take place occasionally in the daytime.

8.5 p.m.—Returned and found bird in much the same position, but either it had moved a little back or pushed out another piece of shell, which now lay just beside it. Eyes closed. Chicks not visible.

8.40.—Chicks came out from under the mother's breast, jumped up to her beak, and were fed by her in the plainest manner—sparingly, however. The chicks were importunate, but the parent bird by no means bountiful, doubtless for good reasons of her own.

8.45.—Partner flew up, and the other one flew off silently whilst he was still in the air. He settled close by the chicks, and walked on to them. They immediately sprang up at his bill (as just before with the mother), and he fed one of them by regurgitation. This time the process was still more unmistakable than before, for, as the old bird fed the chick more thoroughly, his motions were more emphatic, and exactly like a Dove's.

8.50.—Bird flew off. In another two minutes a bird (probably