File:Baby birds at home (1912) (14728420136).jpg

Identifier: babybirdsathomebb00kear (find matches)
Title: Baby birds at home
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Kearton, Richard, 1862-1928
Subjects: Birds -- Behavior Birds -- Juvenile literature
Publisher: London, New York (etc.) Cassell and company, ltd.
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
ly called, is a migratorybird, arriving in April and departing again inSeptember. It is found all over the BritishIslands wherever bushes and trees grow. It builds its nest on the ground amongstcoarse grass and weeds, on banks nearwillow-fringed streams, in woods, on com-mons, and almost anywhere and everywhere.The structure is made of dead grass, moss,leaves, and fern fronds, and is lined withhair and feathers. It is domed or coveredover and has an entrance hole in front. The eggs, numbering from four to eight,are white, spotted with pale rusty-brown. Baby Willow Wrens are very tiny andfrail when they emerge from the egg-shells,but grow very rapidly. They have, how-ever, many enemies. Not long ago thewriter saw a Willow Wren hovering, justlike a humming-bird, over the grass whereinshe had built her nest, and upon goingto the place found a large adder in theact of swallowing her chicks. The reptilehad devoured four out of a family of six,but speedily paid the penalty of its mis-deeds.
Text Appearing After Image:
MERLINS. The Merlin THE Merlin is the smallest member ofthe Falcon family found breeding inthe British Islands. The male bird onlymeasures some ten inches in length and istherefore an inch shorter than the misselthrush. The female Merlin is somewhatlarger than the last-named bird. The Blue Hawk, or Stone Falcon/as the Merlin is otherwise known, breedson the ground in deep heather on moors inthe wildest parts of the country. The nestconsists of a slight hollow lined with a fewsprigs of heather or dead grass. On rareoccasions the bird will use the old nest of acarrion crow. Four or five creamy white eggs thicklycovered with dark reddish brown spots, andblotches are laid. The male catches pipits, larks, and othersmall birds for the female, whilst she issitting on the eggs. Upon returning home io Baby Birds at Home with the prey in his talons, he alights ona knoll at some distance from the nest, andcalls his mate to the feast. Whilst the henis satisfying her hunger he sometimes visitsthe

Note About Images