Feeding and Protection of Young Birds. 115 



I have since those juvenile speculations watched 

 many, many birds feed their young, and have come 

 to the conclusion that they never even try to 

 remember which chick they fed last, but simply 

 drop their gleanings into the mouth of the strongest 

 and most energetic child until it is satisfied and 

 retires to the bottom or back of the nest 

 and gives its weaker brothers and sisters a 

 chance. 



Parent birds coming home with a good haul 

 of worms or grubs will sometimes divide their 

 catch by dropping one into 

 this and one into that Avidely- 

 openecl mouth, until the supj^ly 

 is exhausted. 



Not long 

 ago I had an 

 opportun i ty 

 of watching 

 a m o t h e r 

 Lark feed her 

 small family 

 of two child- 

 ren, and saw 

 her do some 

 interesting 

 things. She 

 brought them 

 small cater- 

 pillars and "WHO SAID MICE 't 



