HOME LIFE OF BIRDS 41 



at a visit, the rearing of this wren family meant the 

 destruction of from four to five thousand insects. 



The largest number of times the young were fed 

 in an hour was twenty-five, immediately after a 

 storm when the young were twelve days old. The 

 smallest number of times was eight during a heavy 

 shower when the birds were two days old. 



During the first days of rearing the young, most 

 of the feeding was done by the female alone, but later 

 more assistance was given by the male, until on the 

 last day the work was about equally divided be- 

 tween them. 



During the summer of 1914, a pair of Baltimore 

 orioles was watched in a similar way for a day. The 

 parents began to feed at 4.45 A.M., and finished at 

 8.45 P.M., a period of sixteen hours. Altogether the 

 young were fed two hundred and eighty-five times, 

 one hundred and fifty-four by the female and one 

 hundred and thirty-one by the male, or an average 

 of nineteen tunes an hour. 



Devotion of parents. While caring for their 

 young, birds show a most remarkable devotion, sel- 

 dom deserting their nest, regardless of what may 

 happen. They show reckless courage in trying to 

 protect then* young from intruders, sometimes even 

 striking a person with their bills. 



Care after leaving the nest. After the young 

 leave the nest, they must be taught many lessons 

 before they are able to care for themselves. One of 



