NESTING HABITS OF HERMIT THRUSH 9 



morsel for the nestlings; during the entire time that the birds 

 were under observation a hairy caterpillar was not again 

 offered. 



The larva which was brought to the j'oung by the male at 

 10:14 was offered to one nestling who made a vigorous but un- 

 successful attempt to swallow it. The parent seeing the dilem- 

 ma of the youngster took it from his throat and ran the larva 

 slowly and carefully through his own mandibles, in this way 

 crushing it; he then fed it to a different nestling who also at- 

 tempted the impossible. After removing the larva from his 

 throat and crushing it still further and in the same manner as 

 before the parent offered the now sadly bedraggled larva to the 

 original recipient who succeeded in his efforts at swallowing it. 

 The entire performance lasted about three minutes. 



As again illustrating the fact that the young void the excre- 

 ment at other times than immediately after being fed the fol- 

 lowing excerpt from the writer's notes of this date may be 

 quoted: "At 9:19, after the female had been brooding for 

 several minutes, she arose in the nest and took a bit of excre- 

 ment from one of the nestlings. ' ' 



The hour between 10 :14 and 11 :14 when the young were not 

 fed was occupied partly by the female in brooding although she 

 did not return to the nest until 10 :28 at which time she brought 

 no food. 



