90 BRITAIN'S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 



moreover, are exceptional in possessing ' precocious flight.' 

 A set of small flight-quills is developed when the chick is 

 only half-grown, and serves its purpose until that of the 

 first real plumage is ready. 



Young ' Waders "" are typical nidifugous birds, and show 

 a disproportionate development of leg, associated with 

 their running habits. The same is true of some chicks 

 of the Rail Order, while others resemble the young of the 

 Duck and Diver Orders in taking to the water almost at 

 once. 



Less typical are young Auks, down-clad and open-eyed, 

 but comparatively helpless. So also are young Gulls ; 

 young Terns are more active, but are for many weeks 

 entirely dependent on their parents for food. 



Many peculiarities of the young birds are interesting in 

 that they probably reflect ancestral characters of the 

 species — for example, the short, plover-like beak of the 

 newly - hatched Curlew, and the longitudinally striped 

 down-plumage of many nestlings, well seen in the Grebes. 

 Many other points also arise. Protective coloration is 

 splendidly illustrated by young Waders and others. 



The plate shows : 



(1) Redshank (Limicol.e : Charadriidae), showing protective 



coloration and crouching habit. 



(2) Golden Plover (Limicol.e : Charadriidae), showing 



protective coloration and disproportionate leg 

 development. 



(3) Partridge (Gallin^e : Phasianidae), showing early set 



of quills for ' precocious flight ' (see above). 



(4) Mallard or Wild-Duck (Anseres : Anatidae). 



(5) Moorhen or Waterhen (Gkall.e ; FuLiCARiiE : Rallidae). 

 The Partridge is half-grown ; the others are all in the 



first day or two of life. 



