52 Bulletin No. 2'j. 



fancied security. Once fully convinced that he is seen he waddles off 

 and never stops until out of sight. 



I brought back with me a young hirundo almost ready to fly. It very 

 sooa learned to take fish from my hand, and always manipulated them so 

 that they were swallowed head end first. A four inch cunner was 

 swallowed whole. Morsels too large to be handled entire ^vere soon 

 dropped. When exceptionally large pieces of fish were swallowed, some 

 very interesting muscular movements took place. A telescope motion of 

 the neck and body was accompanied by a spasmodic movement like that 

 of shivering, for a few seconds. The bird would then " huddle up " 

 and ruffle up its feathers several times. 



When in an open place, the bird would frequently raise its wings 

 above its back in the motion of flight and in a couple of days could rise 

 several inches from the ground in this way. 



Unfortunately, my pet grew very noisy in the course of a few days and 

 I had to keep him out doors. The following morning he disappeared, 

 and I know not how or when he went. An intersting study of the develop- 

 ment of the color patterns of the first plumage was thereby interrupted, 

 but a few facts had been noted. The general coloration of the upper 

 parts, as seen from above, consisted of mottled grays and browns. The 

 primaries, however, have the adult coloring of light bluish gray. As 

 the bird is seen crouching on the ground the primaries are not con- 

 spicuous, being folded against the sides of the body, and the upper, 

 probably primitive coloring, is far less conspicuous than the sharply 

 contrasting black head and ash gray back of the adult. The eggs and 

 downy young are admirable illustrations of the principles of protective 

 coloration. The downy nestling with light brownish coloration above, 

 very easily escapes notice even when in the nest, so long us he lies on 

 his breast The dead nestlings, however, when they lie on their backs, 

 by reason of their light ventral coloration are quite conspicuous against 

 the darker ground. Even the bill and feet show protective coloration 

 as they are a plain brownish and lack the bright red of the adult. 



R. M. Strong, Wood's Hole, Mass. 



SUMMER BIRD STUDY. 



If indications count for anything, the summer days, with their dense 

 foliage, swarms of mosquitoes, and debilitating weather, are days of 

 almost total inactivity with the average bird student. We are only too 



