98 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



connection with the umbilicus or navel 

 {■see illustration). The material needed for 

 growth is therefore derived ])riniarily 

 Ihroiioli the volk ; ])ut as the original volk- 



YOUNG BIRD TWO DAYS BEFORE EXCLUSION, 

 SHOWING SHRUNKEN YOLK. (Magnifial.) 



matter is al)soihcd, it is rc|)laced by Iresh 

 material from the all)umen, drawn throuuh 

 tlie delicate membranes. The albumen 

 comiirisint; miuii of the bulk of the cifo-, 

 it is manilest must furnish much of tVic 

 nourishment for the younji bird ; but it 

 ])asses thr<)Uj»h the yolk-sac in this |)rocess. 

 Shortly before hatchiiin'. the entire reinain- 

 in<f nutritive material of the c<fg is gathered 

 within the considcral)ly shrunken yolk-sac, 

 communicating with the muhilicus of the 

 young bird, as in the ahoN'c ilhislrat i<iii : 

 and dui'ing the last few hours it is ra|)idly 

 drawn into the abdomen, where il furnislics 

 food for IIk' newly-born chick during the 

 lirst da\' ol' its independent existence." 



This matter is fully explained here in 

 ortlcr that llic reader may (luilc understand 

 the entire indc))cndeiicc of the young bird 

 with regard to food f(ir at least twchc 

 hours after its bii-|li. or even longer. 



Nature has furnished it with full provision, 

 though it is rare that the jiarcnt allows 

 the nestlings to go so long before giving 

 them a meal. The old birds are usually 

 busy attending to their wants an hour 

 or two after hatching. In fact, as soon as 

 the downy feathers — which are dainji when 

 hatched — have been dried by the heat of 

 the mother's body, she is busying herself 

 about her chicks. She. however, gives 

 them but very little food the first few hours, 

 and that which she gives them the hrst day 

 is of (juite a creamy consistency. 



When \-oung birds are hatched the 

 abdomen is much distended, and greatly 

 outweighs any other portion of the body. 

 This is observable in the illustration on 

 this page, though the yolk-sac has not been 

 (luite absorbed. Nature truly displays her 

 handiwork in this arrangement, as the 

 weighty distended abdomen acts at first 

 as a support and balance to the young 



VOUNC; YOKKSHIIU'; CANARY. FOUR DAYS OLD. 



bird before it has nmeh strength in its 

 legs, when holding its head up to be fed 

 by the parent. .\s it gets older this 

 abnormal state of the abihmien gi'adually 

 (lisap|)ears. and the bird is able to rise up 

 on its legs in the nest to be fed. The 

 next illustration shows a young Yorkshire 

 canar\' whi'ii four d;iys old. and though 

 the abdomen is still large, it gradually 

 assumes more normal pro|)ortions with the 

 bodv. and continues to do so as llu' bird 

 Ijccomes well feathered. 



