EASTERN SONG SPARROW 1497 



behaviorisms of the 7-day-old are cowering, stretching of the wings, 

 head-scratching, yawning, and climbing to the nest rim. Birds 8 

 and 9 days old acquire new types of wing-stretching, engage in wing- 

 fluttering and -fanning, and body-shaking, and utter new feeding 

 notes. 



Both parents feed the nestlings, chiefly on "insects, worms, beetles, 

 grubs, flies, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and similar insects" (Knight, 

 1908). The period in the nest varies, its minimal limit being given as 

 7 days by Forbush (1929) and its maximum as 14 days by most 

 writers. Seven days undoubtedly does not represent a natural, 

 undisturbed nestling period, but is probably the youngest age at 

 which nestlings will leave the nest when disturbed. Knight says 

 that young leave ground nests earlier than they do elevated nests, and 

 that this early age is 10 days. At this time they are still unable to 

 fly, and newly fledged birds remain hidden in plant cover. Mrs. 

 Nice (1937) states that young euphonia "when * * * about 17 days 

 old * * * are able to fly and come out of hiding." 



Dependence on the parents continues until after the post-juvenal 

 molt (Todd, 1940). The parental bond may be assumed to be severed 

 at the age of about 28 to 30 days as in euphonia (Nice, 1937). 



As in other species, juvenile song sparrows occasionally engage in 

 some of the behavior of nest building (Hoyt, 1961). 



As second and third broods are produced regularly, and fourth 

 broods probably occasionally, as far north as Massachusetts, the 

 matter of timing successive families is of interest. "When the young 

 of the first brood are able to fly, the female immediately begins to 

 deposit eggs for the second brood, often in the same nest, leaving the 

 male to care for the first, and he attends them usually until the 

 young of the second brood have hatched, when he leaves them to 

 help feed and care for the younger brood" (Forbush, 1929). 



Plumages. — In the following description of the plumages and molts, 

 material involving both melodia and euphonia has been used. The 

 sexes are identical in their molts and practically identical in their 

 plumages. Females average a little later than males in date of molt. 

 Minor sexual differences in plumage will be mentioned. 



Natal down, described as both sepia-brown in color (D wight, 1900) 

 and black (Nice, 1943) is present at hatching. Mrs. Nice (1943) 

 writes that this down "is prominent on the dorsal, femoral and occipital 

 regions and on the coverts. For the first two days there is little 

 change except in increased length of down." 



The progress of the molt into the juvenal plumage is described in 

 detail by G. M. Sutton (1935), who writes: 



* * * the nestling-stage of the juvenal plumage is * * * notable for its dull- 

 ness, the feathers of the loral, malar, and superciliary regions being still for the 

 646-737 — 68 — pt. 3 17 



