22 BIRDS OF THE PLAINS 



bird to drink, and that I should see her carry some of 

 the liquid to her offspring. But she took no notice of 

 the water. She certainly used to come to the cage 

 sometimes with her beak apparently empty, and yet 

 insert it into the open mouth of a young one. Was 

 she then watering the nestling, or did her beak hold 

 some small seeds that did not protrude? It seems 

 incredible that unfledged birds exposed to the tempera- 

 ture of an Indian summer require no water ; neverthe- 

 less, I never actually saw any pass from the crop of the 

 parents to those of the youngsters. 



