1 66 



ANIMAL BIOLOGY 



How long is taken to lay 

 a sitting of eggs? How 

 long before the birds are 

 hatched? When hatched 

 are they helpless? Blind? 

 Feathered? (Figs. 301, 

 302.) Do the nest- 

 lings require much food ? 

 How many times is food 

 brought in an hour? 

 How distributed? Even 

 if the old birds some- 

 times eat fruit do they 

 take fruit to the young? 

 What do they feed to the 

 young? How long be- 



FIG. 308. EUROPEAN TOMTIT'S NEST. 

 What are the advantages of its shape ? 



fore they leave the nest? 

 Do the parents try to teach 

 them to fly? Do the par- 

 ents care for them after the 

 nest is left ? What songs or 

 calls has the bird? 



General Field Study. 

 {For written report.} Name 

 the best and poorest flyers 

 you know ; birds that fly 

 most of the time ; birds that 

 seldom fly. Observe birds 

 that pair ; live in flocks. 

 Does their sociability vary 

 with the season? Do you 

 ever see birds quarreling? 



gag 



FIG. 309. TAILOR BIRD'S NEST (India). 



Instinct for nest building highly perfected. 



