306 THE REASON WHY : 



" She plume? her feathers, and lets grow her wings 

 That in the various hustle of resort 

 Were all too ruffled, and sometimes impaired." MILTON. 



the personal concealment of female birds, and consequently that of 

 their young, from the depredations of birds of prey. It is remarkable 

 that most birds that are under no apprehension of being attacked, 

 such as eagles, owls, hawks, etc., the females are uniformly 

 covered with plumage as rich as that of the males. 



977. Why is the plumage of young birds sombre, and less 

 marked than when they bwme older ? 



Because, if the young had their full plumage the first year, or 

 when they quitted their nest, they would in their then feeble state 

 be more exposed to be killed by birds of prey and other enemies. 

 It seems, therefore, a benevolent design that the more humble 

 plumage should remain on them until they are better able to 

 protect themselves. 



978. The activity and watchfulness of birds when they have young is most 

 surprising. Dr. Macgillivray records the ohservations made by a friend on a pair 

 of blue titmice when rearing their young. The parent birds began their labour of 

 lof e at half-past three o'clock in the morning, and did not leave off till eight o'clock 

 in the evening, after being almost incessantly engaged for nearly seventeen hours. 

 Mr Weir counted their various returns to the nest, and found them to be 475. Up 

 to four o'clock, as a breakfast, they were fed twelve times ; between five and six 

 o'clock, forty times, flying to and from a plantation more than 150 yards from their 

 nest ; between nine and ten o'clock they fed their offspring forty-six times ; and 

 they continued at their work till the time specified, sometimes bringing in a single 

 largo caterpillar, and at other times two or three small ones. 



979. How is a beautiful provision of nature illustrated in the 

 disposition of the feathers upon the body of a bird ? 



The feathers are all placed in such a manner that the action 

 of the wind from before shall tend to smooth them down. The 

 shoulders and the front edges of the wings are the places, however, 

 on which the beautiful application of the feathers is the most 

 striking, as they are not only most difficult to fit from their greater 

 curvature, but are those which are most exposed during flight. The 

 feathers on these parts are so placed that, let the wind take what 

 cbrectio'i it may, it can hardly raise or ruffle them. 



