60 WHEELOCK, Regurgitative Feeding of Nestlings,. Man 



eyes were open. On the sixth day, being compelled to leave that 

 vicinity, I kidnapped two of the young Juncos and bringing them 

 across the divide completed the study in Chicago. 



Among the thrush family the American Robin {Merula migra- 

 torid) first claims our attention from its commonness. The pair 

 whose record I offer you nested at the top of a trellis under the 

 eaves of a veranda at my home, and in unobstructed view from a 

 window five feet away. It was their third season in that dooryard 

 and they paid no attention to the observers at the window, and, 

 after the first day, made little protest against examination of the 

 young. 



On the first day, the crops of the nestlings contained balls of 

 partially digested earth worms and white grubs, very jelly-like and 

 with much saliva. On the second day, the food was of the same 

 character but mixed with darker masses which seemed to be the 

 abdomen of spiders ; no legs or other hard portions were found in 

 it, however, until the third day, when two bits of spider legs and 

 balls of grass were discovered. Early on the morning of the 

 fourth day an earth worm, thoroughly macerated, was given fresh 

 to one of the nestlings. This was the first fresh food I had seen 

 given. During the fourth day the food was all administered in a 

 fresh state, and consisted of earth worms, grass, grubs and various 

 species of insects. It was warm, wet, April weather and earth 

 worms were the most abundant food, which doubtless accounts for 

 their occurring in such quantities in the food of the young. June 

 broods that I have recorded have more often fed upon fruit, cater- 

 pillars and grasshoppers. 



Bluebirds, nesting for several seasons in the same deserted 

 woodpecker's hole in an old tree on our lawn, furnished data for 

 the statement that their young are fed by regurgitation until the 

 fourth day, when this is varied with fresh food for a day ; but, from 

 the sixth day on, all the food given is in a fresh state. Insects 

 and bits of grass formed the entire supply. 



The Wood Thrush was found to resemble the Robin closely in 

 nesting habits, but its bill of fare is more like that other thrush, 

 the Bluebird. The young were fed by regurgitation for three days 

 on soft parts of insects, crushed and swallowed by the adults, but 

 only partially digested. 



