

THE BIRDS 



411 



usually does the incubating, but the male often takes turns to give the 

 female some time off the nest. In other birds, he lets her do all the in- 

 cubating, but brings her food during the one to four weeks required to 

 hatch the eggs. The birds turn the eggs with their bills regularly, for 

 an embryo cannot develop if left in one position too long. 



Most of them emerge as ugly, naked, blind bundles of protoplasm 

 whose only body reaction seems to be to open their mouths at the slight- 

 est sound and awkwardlv stretch their necks for a morsel of food. In 



Photo by Cftas. W. Schwartz 



Fig. 27.5. A red-winged blackbird female feeding young that has just left the nest. 

 The maternal instinct is strongly developed in birds and they care for their young with 



great solicitude. 



spite of such an appearance, the parents seem extremely proud of their 

 offspring and show a solicitude for them that is unexcelled in the animal 

 kingdom. The female shows an aggressiveness and resourcefulness in 

 protecting them that is in direct contrast to her usual meek, submissive 

 manner. A mother hen protecting her baby chicks can make a dog turn 

 tail and run. One of the cleverest means of deception known is used by 

 the female quail to protect her nest. The nest is on the ground and it 

 would seem a simple matter for animals to find it and devour the eggs. 

 However, when the mother quail hears a large animal approaching, she 

 will suddenly run from the nest fluttering and falling about like a bird 



