McCOWN'S LONGSPUR 1585 



two days after the young hatched," observes Mickey (1943), "but 

 she was relieved at intervals by the male. From the third day on, 

 more and more time was spent by both adults gathering food for the 

 young and less time brooding them. During showers the female 

 brooded the nestlings even after they were well feathered. At nest 

 22, where the female had either deserted or been killed while away 

 from the nest, the male fed the young, but apparently failed to brood 

 them during a downpour, for the young were found wet and dead 

 after the rain." 



The young were shielded not only against the rain but against the 

 heat of the July prairies also. DuBois (1923) has several notations 

 regarding this behavior. 



July 8. * * * The mother bird stood in the nest sheltering the young from 

 the sun, but she left every few minutes to go for food for them * * *. 



As the parent stands on the nest in the hot sun, she usually keeps her mouth 

 open, panting. Her breathing is rapid, and when there is no wind her puffing is 

 audible * * *. 



The male, as well as the female, goes on the nest after feeding and stands with 

 his wings partly spread, if the sun is hot, until his mate comes with more food 

 to relieve him. She then takes his place and remains until he returns * * *. 



July 12. This evening after supper I watched for awhile from the tent-blind. 

 Both parents were feeding hastily and in rapid succession. A thunder shower 

 was brewing, night was coming on, and drops of rain, striking the nestlings made 

 them stretch up their heads and open their mouths when both parents were away. 

 The female sat on the nest a few minutes between meals, and the thunder did 

 not seem to startle or disturb her * * *. 



The position of the male while brooding is to stand astride the nest with a foot 

 on each side, at the rim, the young filling the cavity between. Once, while the 

 female was brooding, the male came with food which he fed to the young at her 

 side. At another time under similar circumstances he gave the food to his mate 

 and she fed it to the young under her breast, the food being nearly always grass- 

 hoppers. On one occasion, after feeding, the female stood at the edge of the nest 

 facing the young, and, stooping over them, sang a little warble close to their 

 heads while the male was approaching with another ration. She was obviously 

 tired and sleepy, as she frequently yawned and dozed while brooding in the 

 short intervals between feedings. 



At another nest on July 8, DuBois (1923) found "at noon the male 

 standing in the nest with his feathers all 'fluffed up', shading the 

 young from the hot, penetrating rays of the noonday sun." Mickey 

 (1943) observed a similar position in the female which straddled 

 "the nest while brooding. She placed one foot on either side of the 

 rim of the nest." 



For about half of their nestling life the young are brooded at night 

 also, as Mickey learned: 



On the night of July 10, 1938, my husband and I visited the field at ten o'clock. 

 We had previously marked the nests so that they could be found easily in the dark. 

 When a nest was located, a flashlight was turned on it. The young birds in 

 nest 9, which were five days old, were being brooded. The adult bird left the 



