xii Illustrations 



PAGE 



FIG. 45. Female Robin brooding . .'.... 73 



FIG. 46. Cock feeding cluster of earthworms . . . . 75 



FIG. 47. Cock standing at nest immediately after serving food, 



and ready for the duty of inspection and cleaning . 78 

 FIG. 48. The female also inspects her young at every visit to the 



nest . . . . . . . . 8 i 



FIG. 49. Female Robin cleaning the nest . . . .84 



Young of European Blackbird (Merula atra), Lucerne, 



Switzerland, July 4, 1904 . . . . . .85 



FIG. 50. Cedar-bird standing at nest with full gullet, after one of 



the young had left .88 



FIG. 51. Young Cedar-birds responding in chorus to the silent 



mother . . . . . . . .89 



FIG. 52. Scene at the same nest taken a little earlier in the day; 

 the mother approaches the young, which are nearly 

 ready to fly . . . . . . . -91 



FIG. 53. The Cedar-bird approaches with closed bill but full 



throat ...../.... 94 



FIG. 54. After feeding the young she inspects them ... 95 

 FIG. 55. She tosses up her head, and produces a cherry . . 96 

 FIG. 56. She is startled at a strange sound .... 97 



FIG. 57. She devours what is sometimes removed from the nest . 98 

 FIG. 58. The sac is taken directly from the cloaca of the young 



bird . . . . . . . . . .99 



FIG. 59. A young Waxwing from this nest on the morning of 

 flight, in natural attitude expressive of fear. July 19, 

 1900 . . . . . . . . . ' . 101 



FIG. 60. Red-eyed Vireo and her young interlocked. In order to 

 start the swallowing reflex the food must be pressed 

 down into the sensitive throat . . . . .105 



FIG. 61. The mother Vireo has a large insect ready . . . 106 

 FIG. 62. The same bird, on the same perch, is testing the throat 



of a nestling . . . . . . . .107 



FIG. 63. "The attitude of inspection is prone." Inspection fol- 

 lows feeding with the regularity of clock-work . .108 

 FIG. 64. Female Red-eyed Vireo from another nest gingerly in- 

 specting her brood . . . . . .109 



FIG. 65. The young of this nest when ready to fly . . . in 

 FIG. 66. The Vireo shown in Fig. 60 asleep on her nest. Compare 



also Fig. 42 113 



FIG. 67. Female Bluebird on point of leaving her nest . . .115 

 FIG. 68. The same bird carrying a grasshopper to her brood . 117 

 FIG. 69. The Bluebird engaged in house-cleaning. Photographed 



at a distance of eighteen inches . . . . .119 



