194 T. C. STEPHENS 



In this instance the young, which hatched during the night, 

 were under observation from daylight of the morning of hatching, 

 and the parents were not observed to carry any food to the 

 young. On the other hand the young left the nest within five 

 or six hours to feed for themselves. 



If we now direct our attention to those birds which feed 

 their young for a period of time we find considerable range of 

 behavior. As a preliminary analysis of the subject we may 

 distinguish three modes of feeding the young, viz.; 



(a) Where the young bird thrusts its bill, or entire head, 

 into the mouth or throat of the parent; or where the parent 

 regurgitates the food, in a more or less digested condition, upon 

 the ground, to be picked up by the young bird. 



(b) Where there is insertion of neither bill, but a peculiar 

 intercrossing of bills to be described in detail further on. 



(c) Where the parent inserts its bill into the mouth or throat 

 of the young in the delivery of food. 



We may consider these methods in order. Perhaps the best 

 example of the first method is furnished by the Pelican. From 

 Chapman's admirable account of the feeding of young Brown 

 Pelicans (2, p. 97) we learn that the naked young a day or two 

 old takes its quota of pre-digested food from the front part of 

 the pouch of the parent's bill, into which it has been regurgitated. 

 Later, however, the nestling reaches far into the throat or gullet 

 of the parent, thus exhibiting what may be called a feeding 

 initiative. 



In general this seems to be the usual method for all of the 

 Steganopodes, unless there should be an exception in the 

 Phaethontidae. Chapman has observed the same method of 

 feeding in the Booby (Sulidae), the Water Turkey (Anhingidae) , 

 and the Man-o-war-bird (Fregatidae). The Cormorants are also 

 known to feed in the same way (2, p. 217). The same writer 

 regrets not being acquainted with the feeding habits of the 

 Tropic Birds (Phaethontidae) so that an inclusive statement 

 might be made for the order. It is therefore unfortunate that 

 Gross, in his most careful study of the Yellow-billed Tropic 

 Bird (3), was not more explicit on this point. He dismisses 

 the subject with the remark that " The food is transferred 

 from the pouch-like gullet of the adult to that of the young 



