VOL. X.J HABITS OF SPARROW-HAWK. 75 



old. The flies troubled it very much and it seemed 

 almost dead. A careful examination showed that a fly 

 had been inside the mouth and laid eggs, so we care- 

 fully cleaned it out and left at once ; this young bird 

 recovered. 



At first the old bird has to place bits of flesh to the 

 yomig one's bill, but from the very first the nestlmg 

 knows how to get the food down by feeble jerks of the 

 head and simultaneous gulping. At four days old it 

 can prop itself up on the ankles and feet and take food 

 from the old one's bill. After that there is no difficulty 

 about being fed. ^^^len first hatched it seems mute 

 at meals, although it can make a cheep in the chipped 

 shell which is like the food squeal given later. This 

 cheep can be heard at twenty to thirty yards. From a 

 few hours old it can make faint noises indicative of dis- 

 comfort, but the real food squeal does not seem to be 

 uttered mitil it is some days old. When all the young 

 are old enough to sit up and grab the food from the 

 mothers bill, they group themselves in the arc of a 

 circle. At first the old bird discriminates between them 

 in feeding, but as time goes she is not so particular, 

 though she always attends particular^ to the youngest 

 of the family. 



After they are a week old there is a great change in 

 the young. They have doubled in size, their down is 

 also much longer, and they have a rather disreputable 

 vulturine look about the head, especially after a meal. 

 Their strength is much greater and often two make a 

 grab for the same piece of food. They now show con- 

 siderable disinclination to being brooded and will slip 

 from under the hen for short spells. If she does not 

 think one ought to be out, she hooks him mider very 

 gently with her bill. As time goes on they sho^^' more 

 and more disinclination to be brooded, and by the time 

 the youngest is twelve to fourteen days old the hen may 

 just be sitting on the nest by the side of the nestlings, 

 without attempting to cover theniy/' Feather- quills can 



