166 



BEGINNERS' ZOOLOGY 



5" — -J-^^V ;. ._ 



How long is taken to lay 

 a sitting of eggs? How 

 long before the birds are 

 hatched? When hatched 

 are they helpless? Blind? 

 Feathered? (Figs. 301, 

 302.) Do the nest- 

 lings require much food? 



How many times in an 

 hour is food brought? 



How distributed? Even 

 if the old birds some- 

 times eat fruit do they 

 take fruit to the young? 

 What do they feed to the 

 young? How long be- 



Fig. 308. — European Tomtit's Nest, 

 What are the advantages of its shape ? 'ji^m^/h 



fore they leave the nest? ?slsM 

 Do the parents try to teach 

 them to fly? Do the par- 

 ents care for them after the 

 nest is left ? What songs or 

 calls has the bird ? 



General Field Study. 

 — {For written report.) 

 Name the best and poor- 

 est flyers you know; 

 birds that fly most of the 

 time ; birds that seldom 

 fly. Observe birds that 

 pair; live in flocks. Does 

 their sociability vary 



Fig. 309. — Tailor Bird's Nest (India). 



Instinct for nest building highly perfected. 



with the season? Do you ever see birds quarrelling?^ 



