160 THE STORY OF BIRD-LIFE. 



cheese-like or milky secretion with which both 

 parents feed the young for some time. This secre- 

 tionis familiarlyknown as pigeon's-milk." In feed- 

 ing, the nestling thrusts its beak into the mouth of 

 the parent, who then forces down its throat this 

 peculiar food with a kind of pumping action. 



In the cormorant, a similar method of feeding 

 is followed : the baby cormorant thrusting its 

 head and neck down the throat of its fond parent, 

 and taking from its well-filled gullet as much fish 

 as it can manage to swallow. 



In the pelican — a near relative of the cor- 

 morant — the female only attends to the feeding 

 of the young. This is effected by the parent 

 pressing its beak against its breast and raising 

 the upper jaw, upon which the young help 

 themselves to the fish in the pouch. This 

 habit probably gave origin to the fable of 

 the pelican feeding its young on the blood of her 

 own breasf. 



As we have seen already, the male hornbill 

 feeds his mate by regurgitating his latest meal 

 enclosed in the form of a neat package, furnished 

 by the inner lining of his gizzard. 



The woodpeckers again feed the young by 

 regurgitation. The partly-softened food from 

 the parent's crop is passed into the mouth of the 

 young which is opened to receive the beak of 

 the parent. 



The condition of the young at birth varies 

 very much. They may, on this account, be 

 divided into two great groups : (1) Those which 

 remain for a longer or shorter time in the nest, 

 perfectl}'' helpless, and requiring to be fed by 



