64 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 87 



consumed ten minutes in covering that distance, advancing a 

 few steps and then remaining "Motionless for a time. When 

 only four or five feet away, she stopped for five minutes, 

 remaining, as far as I could see, absolutely motionless, and 

 then, apparently satisfied, stepped up to the nest. She pro- 

 gressed by grasping the upright stems of the aquatic plants 

 and when she stopped to listen looked as though she were on 

 stilts. As soon as she reached the nest, the young commenced 

 jumping at her beak, continuing this until one succeeded in 

 seizing it in his beak at right angles to the base. A series of 

 indescribable contortions followed, the head of the female 

 being thrown jerkily in all directions and the muscles of the 

 neck working convulsively. Finally her head and neck were 

 placed flat on the nest for several seconds and then slowly 

 raised again. As it came up the food came slowly up the 

 throat into the mouth. As the food passed along the beak, 

 the open beak of the young bird followed its course along 

 until it slid into its mouth and was quickly swallowed. The 

 young one then released his hold and the parent stood with 

 the muscles of the neck twitching and jerking. The remaining 

 young kept jumping at the beak until one secured a hold 

 on it, when the process was repeated. By 10:30 all five of 

 the brood had been fed. Each one after receiving the food 

 staggered across the nest and lay down with the head and 

 neck flat on the weeds and remained in this position for some 

 time before showing any signs of life again." After the 

 feeding the parent walked away and built the platform 

 described elsewhere. She rested here until 11 :15 and then 

 flew away. On the sixth of July the young had become well 

 feathered out although the natal down was still conspicuous 

 on the head and neck. It was impossible to do any more work 

 with them after this time as they began going out in the 

 swamp to meet the parent, receiving the food there and 

 returning to the nest. On July 1 the nest was under observa- 

 tion from 8:00 A.M. until 4:30 P.M. and the young were 

 fed three times during that period, making from five to eight 

 feedings the probable number for the day. Each time all 

 five young were given a mass of food about the size of an 



