GROWING UP. 133 



Let me picture the apple-tree babies at one 

 week old, or seven and eight days respectively 

 — to be exact. On taking my regular morn- 

 ing observation I noticed white spine-like pro- 

 cesses, the beginning of feathers, among the 

 hairs on their bodies. The heads looked as if 

 covered with, in the language of commerce, a 

 " fine mix," minutest possible white specks on a 

 black ground, which, as days went by, increased 

 in size and length till they developed into feath- 

 ers. Beaks, too, were changing. The broad, 

 flat surface showed inclination to draw into a 

 point at the tip, which would go on stretching 

 up day by day, till by the time the birdlings 

 could fly they would be nearly as well equipped 

 for hummingbird life as the mother herself. 

 On that seventh day, also, I discovered the first 

 voluntary movement ; one of the pair lifted his 

 head above the edge of the nest, and changed 

 his position on the bed of cotton. 



Now began the restlessness characteristic of 

 our smallest bird. From the age of one week 

 they were rarely for a moment still, excepting 

 when asleep. One moment they would lie side 

 by side, two tiny beaks sticking up close to- 

 gether, and the next, one would struggle and 

 twist about till his beak showed on the opposite 

 side. Occasionally one made himself comforta- 

 ble by lying across his fellow, but very soon the 



