io8 Practical Zoology. 



To what extent, and in what manner, do birds evince emotion 

 such as anger, fear, etc. ? Try bringing close together cages con- 

 taining different kinds of birds. How much attention do they 

 pay each other? Try placing a mirror close to a caged bird. 

 Are birds affected by music ? By harsh or loud noises ? 



If an owl can be captured alive, much can be learned from it. 

 Give it a dead bird or mouse. See how it eats. Watch to see 

 the pellets of hair and feathers that it ejects from the mouth after 

 digesting the soft tissues. If a swimming bird can be kept, one 

 may see how it swims. A tame duck may serve well for this. 

 Drop a dead bird into a pail of water. Does it sink ? Pluck the 

 bird and again drop it into the water. Does it sink or float? 

 Explain. How is it that birds keep so warm while flying in 

 very cold air, as in winter when it is below zero? Do birds have 

 parasites? Do they make effort to get rid of them? Can you 

 help the birds get rid of them? 



EXTERNAL FEATURES OF A BIRD. 



How to handle a Bird. Feathers are delicate structures and, 

 if once crushed or broken, cannot be made over again. Never 

 stroke feathers unless necessary. Above all, never draw a feather 

 through the fingers. This ruins the texture forever. When needed 

 smooth the feathers and deftly rearrange those that are displaced 

 or twisted. When possible pick up a bird by the bill, not by the 

 legs or tail. To take a bird in hand, pick it up by the bill and 

 gently draw it into the other hand, back down. To lay it on the 

 table, draw it lightly from the palm upon the table. To examine 

 the tail feathers, hold the bird with its head toward you and with the 

 thumb and fingers of the two hands take hold of the base of 

 the tail and spread the feathers. Do not take hold of the tip of a 

 feather, and it is seldom necessary to take hold of any part but the 

 base of the quill. To examine the wing quills have the head of the 

 bird toward you, and, passing the thumb and fingers by the front 

 edge of the wing, hold the quills by their bases. Never pull a bird 

 backward on the table by the legs or tail. 



