VOl i^07^ IV ] Beebe, The Early Life of Loon Chicks. 39 



semblance between the two, but that these motherless chicks 

 should recognize it is most unexpected. 



August 12. — Loon chick No. 2 this morning, made his first 

 attempts at ducking and washing his head and back. The loud, 

 plaintive chirps which they utter are called forth only by the desire 

 for food, or when the kingfisher is heard, when they become too 

 excited to eat. 



August 14- — To-day, when one week old, chick No. 1 has 

 caught two dying fish while they swam slowly through the water 

 beneath him. I have made no attempts to teach them to catch 

 fish, feeding them from forceps while in their nest boxes, so that 

 this is an entirely new achievement for him. 



Both birds are moulting hundreds of the long, slender, hair-like 

 down feathers from all parts of the body. None of the multi- 

 branched, typical down has as yet loosened. 



August 15. — Each bird has eaten twelve fish to-day, most of 

 which they pursued and caught without help. They take great 

 delight in the water, splashing and washing themselves for an 

 hour at a time. 



August 16. — A sudden drop in temperature last night has 

 proved fatal to the young loons, and both are dead this morning, 

 with lungs extremely congested. They are well nourished and 

 otherwise in perfect condition. 



Loon No. 1 shows the following measurements. Culmen, 16 

 mm. ; bill and head, 57 mm. ; wing, 30 mm. ; tarsus and longest 

 toe, 68 mm. This shows an increase of growth in all parts except 

 the wing. 



Conclusions. 1 



A. It is probable that young loons are, from the first, fed on 

 whole, not on macerated or regurgitated fish. 



B. The actions of swimming and preening are instinctive. 



C. The method of swimming is usually by alternate strokes. 

 These become simultaneous when a sudden spurt or great speed 

 is desired. 



1 Comparisons are from observations on an adult loon living in the Park 

 last year. 



