OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. 177 



believe devolves exclusively upon her. While thus occupied, 

 \ve have never observed the male to visit her under circum- 

 stances which would lead us to believe that he assisted 

 towards her maintenance. The period of incubation is about 

 three weeks. 



The young are fed by both parents, chiefly during the 

 night, but at times, during the course of the day, even in the 

 brightest sunlight. They are exceedingly voracious feeders, 

 increasing quite rapidly in size, and often leave the nest to 

 perch upon the tree-branches, at the age of five weeks, where 

 they receive their food. In less than a fortnight more, they 

 are sufficiently matured to attend to their own appetitive wants. 

 In about five months from the time of hatching, they acquire 

 full plumage, but the claws are not much more than one 

 half the natural size, and do not attain the normal development 

 under a sixth-month. Their food at first consists of frag- 

 ments of the animals and reptiles taken captive, besides 

 various lepidopterous and coleopterous insects. 



These birds taken while young, soon accustom themselves 

 to captivity, and under the best and kindest treatment, be- 

 come remarkably tame, and most strongly attached to their 

 keeper. Dr. Coues, in his "Birds of the North West," has 

 given a very interesting account of a couple of young birds 

 which he captured in the vicinity of Pembina. These birds 

 were clothed in down at the time of being taken, but passed 

 quite rapidly through the intermediate fulvous stage to the 

 characteristic adult condition. So accustomed to the Doctor 

 did they become, that they would frequently perch upon his 

 shoulder. But any unfamiliar object, they would greet with 

 a hissing and clicking sound, and, as if to show still further 

 their disgust or alarm, would throw themselves in a perfectly 

 erect position. During the daytime, they would seek the 

 darkest corner of the tent in which they were confined, 

 where they would pass the time chiefly in sleep ; but on the 

 approach of dusk, they would become quite active and lively, 

 flying to the full extent of their tether, as if in quest of prey. 



