NIDIFUG4—NIGHTINGALE 635 
to their wants, while the fostering warmth of the earlier chicks can 
hardly fail to aid the development of those which are unhatched, 
during the absence of father and mother in search of food; but 
most birds, and it need scarcely be said, all those the young of 
which run from their birth, await the completion of the clutch 
before sitting is begun. The care bestowed, by almost every 
species, on the infant-brood, is proverbial, and there is hardly any 
extremity of danger which one at least of the anxious parents will 
not incur to ward off injury from their progeny. 
NIDIFUGA/, a word used in this work in contradistinction to 
NIDICOL (p. 629) to signify those Birds which are able, at 
hatching or immediately after, to leave the nest. They are all 
born with their eyes open and are thickly clothed with Neossoptiles 
(FEATHERS, p. 243) of simple structure, as Alcidx (portion), Anatide, 
Colymbi, Dicholophus, Galline, Grues, Laride, Limicolx, Otidide, 
Palamedex, Pheenicopteri, Podicipedide, Pterocles, Ralli, Ratitx, Tinami, 
Turnices. 
Opisthocomus, though born with open eyes, and able to creep about 
on the branches, has but few Neossoptiles and is fed by its parents. 
As previously remarked (page 244) the condition of the first 
plumage is of little taxonomic value. This applies with still more 
force to the difference between Nidicole and Nidifuge. Taken as a 
whole the latter comprise most of the phylogenetically older groups ; 
but any of them may include some closely-allied members which 
have reached the developmental level of the former—the Alcidz, 
Pigeons, Plovers and Fowls for example. Most if not all Nidicolx 
feed their young, but there are also many Nidifugz which prefer 
being fed by their parents though they can feed themselves— 
for instance the Gulls. 
In order to shew the utterly useless nature of these characters 
in the hands of various systematists it will be enough to state that 
Newman considered Gulls and Birds-of-Prey to be “ gymnogenous ” 
or born naked: Bonaparte held all the Alcidx and the Sphenisci to 
be “ PR&cOcES” but the Laridx to be ALTRICES: Sundevall classed 
Herons and Storks, Sphenisci and Tubinares among the Pre&coces ; 
while Mr. Seebohm informs us (Classif. B. p. 9) that Pigeons do 
not pass through a downy stage. 
NIGHT-HAWK, locally applied in parts of England to the 
NIGHTJAR, and in North America to species of the genus Chordiles. 
NIGHT-HERON, see HERON, page 420. 
NIGHTINGALE (Anglo-Saxon, Nihtegale, literally “singer of 
the night”), the bird justly celebrated beyond all others by 
European writers for the admirable vocal powers which, during 
some weeks after its return from its winter-quarters in the south, it 
