1913 BbRQTOLD, .1 Study of the House Finch. 61 



ner, an 'exercise' which undoubtedly lends to growth and develop- 

 ment of the great pectorals. Many can By well on the twelfth, 

 and some leave the nes1 <>n the thirteenth day, though the time of 

 leaving thenesl is quite irregular. All may leave on the same day, 

 which is most commonly the fourteenth, vet some remain in the 

 nci until the sixteenth day after hatching. One finds almost 

 invariably, in a large brood of five or six, that one or two of the 

 birds have gotten a. good start on the others through having 



been hatched earlier, and that such birds fly before the others 

 do. 



Without an exception, tin- writer has found that the nestling's 



note changes, a day or so before its first flight, from the peeping 

 sound characteristic during nest life, to the cry of a young bird able 



to follow its parents, and the writer has been warned a number of 



times by this unmistakable change in note, that some of the young 

 in his nesting boxes were ready to leave (hem. 



About this time also, (he young birds take instant heed of the old 



bird's cry of warning, if danger be near. The first flight is fre- 

 quently a long and vigorous one, many nestlings having been seen 

 to leave the nest, and at once fly two hundred feel, to a tree or house. 

 Several times when this has occurred the little one has been ac- 

 companied in its initial flight by the parents, both old birds flying 

 as close to it as possible. < 'ontrary-w ise, many times these 

 nestlings on the first attempt at flight will drop to the ground. 

 Under such circumstances (hey crawl into corners, or under bushes, 

 or amongst leaves. How (hey there escape (he ubiquitous <"it is 

 hard to understand, vet they do, and one can watch them about 

 one's yard gaining strength ami self-reliance from day to day. 

 They always ivy, by climbing, to get as far from the ground as 

 possible and by dint of short jumps and flights, mount from ground 

 to bush, bush to fence, and fence to tree, where, once well estab- 

 lished, they remain several days, being \\-(\ regularly by the old 

 hints. It is astonishing how much cold and exposure, soaking by 

 rain:, and wet snows, these young birds will stand. The mortality 

 is very great, however, after such exposure, especially if it comes 

 soon after they leave the nest. Many perish, loo, by hail storms. 

 When one can study daily several developing broods of I louse 



Finches, the individuality displayed by particular nestlings is 



