BIRDS IN THE NURSERY 103 



the young bird's bill into their own, and even 

 go further. Young cormorants, for instance, 

 not only put their bills in their parent's mouth, 

 but their heads as well ; in fact, they get as 

 far down the old bird's throat as they can, 

 a way of feeding which looks very uncomfort- 

 able for the feeder. 



Generally, when young birds are brought 

 up in a nest both the old ones help in the 

 feeding, as our common pigeons do, but 

 some of them can bring up the brood alone 

 if necessary ; many hen canaries will do this, 

 and a few cock pigeons a hen pigeon does 

 not seem so devoted to her eggs and young 

 as a fowl or canary is, and always wants her 

 mate's help. Young birds which live in nests 

 always get their feathers gradually and all 

 over their body at once, as is the case with 

 pigeons and canaries ; but there are differences 

 in the way of feathering in active young 

 birds. With fowls, and all birds of that 

 family, the wing-feathers are the first to come ; 

 every one must have noticed how little chickens 

 have quite fair-sized wings when they are only 

 a fortnight old, and try to fly a little. With 

 ducklings it is quite the other way; their 



