344 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



" flapping," and consists in simply breaking the force of a descent ; 

 this is followed by. a more effectual use of the wings, and horizontal 

 progression, and it is some time subsequent to this that the young 

 birds attain to the power of 'upward flight. This holds good of a con- 

 siderable number of species, studied with special reference to their 

 flight, as the robin, the wood-thrush, cedar-bird, cat-bird, pewee, and 

 indigo-bird. 



It is doubtful if young birds, while yet in their nests, are conscious 

 of the use to be made of their wings. After long-continued experi- 

 menting, I find they make no use of them, in endeavoring to escape, 

 but trust to their legs entirely, if removed from the nest, or defend 

 themselves by pecking at the intruder. When a sufficient growth oi 

 feather has been obtained, the parent-birds, directly and indirectly, 

 instruct them; or, perhaps more properly, force them to use their 

 wings. So, at least, I can only interpret certain habitual actions of 

 the parent-birds with reference to their newly-fledged young. 



As an instance I will quote from my field-notes, with reference to 

 the indigo-bird: "June 23, 1873. Found a nest of this species in 

 a dense thicket of blackberry, and, curiously enough, within just 

 seven paces of the railroad-track. The young birds were just ready 

 to leave the nest. I visited the nest the next day, and saw on my 

 approach one of the four young birds sitting on a brier-stem, about a 

 yard from the nest. Taking a favorable position, I continued to watch 

 the birds closely, as they were very restless and noisy. Evidently 

 something unusual had occurred or was occurring. In a few mo- 

 ments I saw the hen-bird go to the nest and push one of the young 

 birds out of the nest. It forced it from the edge of the nest, to which 

 it clung with its feet. Once free, the little fellow struggled to keep 

 itself up, throwing up its wings, as a child would straighten out its 

 arms when falling. This was the initial movement that developed 

 into flight. All of the young birds were thus forced from the nest, and 

 I am satisfied from no outside cause, as, for the three following even- 

 ings, the young returned to the nest to roost. I spent several hours 

 watching this brood and their parents, and the whole time was 

 occupied, except short intervals when they were fed, in forcing the 

 young birds from point to point, but ever keeping them from the 

 railroad-track, over which trains passed frequently. Two days from 

 leaving the nest they could fly six or eight yards, but always from a 

 higher to a lower perch, and regained the more elevated branches by 

 very short, 'jumping' flights, with a laborious flapping of the wings ; 

 but on the fifth day they could follow their parents almost any dis- 

 tance, and execute an upward flight with apparently the same ease. 

 Examination of the wing-feathers on the 30th of June, as compared 

 with a week previous, showed so slight gain in the growth of the 

 feathers, that I believe nothing in the increased flight-power was due 

 to their being now better fledged." 



