NIDIFUG^E NIGHTINGALE 635 



to their wants, while the fostering warmth of the earlier chicks can 

 hardly fail to aid the development of those which are unhatched, 

 during the absence of father and mother in search of food ; but 

 most birds, and it need scarcely be said, all those the young of 

 which run from their birth, await the completion of the clutch 

 before sitting is begun. The care bestowed, by almost every 

 species, on the infant-brood, is proverbial, and there is hardly any 

 extremity of danger which one at least of the anxious parents will 

 not incur to ward off injury from their progeny. 



NIDIFUGdS, a word used in this work in contradistinction to 

 NiDiCOL^: (p. 629) to signify those Birds which are able, at 

 hatching or immediately after, to leave the nest. They are all 

 born with their eyes open and are thickly clothed with Neossoptiles 

 (FEATHERS, p. 243) of simple structure, as Alcidaz (portion), Anatidse, 

 Colymbi, Dicholophus, Galling Grues, Laridte, Limicolx, Otididse, 

 Palamedete, Phcenicopteri, Podicipedidee, Pterodes, Ralli, Ratitse, Tinami, 

 Turnices. 



Opisthocomus, though born with open eyes, and able to creep about 

 on the branches, has but few Neossoptiles and is fed by its parents. 



As previously remarked (page 244) the condition of the first 

 plumage is of little taxonomic value. This applies with still more 

 force to the difference between Nidicolse and Nidifugx. Taken as a 

 whole the latter comprise most of the phylogenetically older groups ; 

 but any of them may include some closely-allied members which 

 have reached the developmental level of the former the Alcidse, 

 Pigeons, Plovers and Fowls for example. Most if not all Nidicolse 

 feed their young, but there are also many Nidifugx which prefer 

 being fed by their parents though they can feed themselves 

 for instance the Gulls. 



In order to shew the utterly useless nature of these characters 

 in the hands of various systematists it will be enough to state that 

 Newman considered Gulls and Birds-of-Prey to be " gymnogenous " 

 or born naked : Bonaparte held all the Alcidx and the Sphenisci to 

 be " PR^ECOCES " but the Laridx to be ALTRICES : Sundevall classed 

 Herons and Storks, Sphenisci and Tubinares among the Prsecoces , 

 while Mr. Seebohm informs us (Classif. B. p. 9) that Pigeons do 

 not pass through a downy stage. 



NIGHT-HAWK, locally applied in parts of England to the 

 NIGHTJAR, and in North America to species of the genus Chordiles. 



NIGHT-HEKON, see HERON, page 420. 



NIGHTINGALE (Anglo-Saxon, Nihtegale, literally "singer of 

 the night"), the bird justly celebrated beyond all others by 

 European writers for the admirable vocal powers which, during 

 some weeks after its return from its winter-quarters in the south, it 



