FEEDING AND CARE OP THE YOUNG. 67 



but an art that grows out of the situation young clamoring for food, old ones anxious to 

 relieve themselves, and fear of the push of the young. 



The old bird normally feeds two birds at the same time, and it seems to need the two- 

 sided contact to get full relief. 1 If there is only one young, the old bird after feeding from 

 one side may walk off to the other side of the nest and thus give a chance for a change 

 in position. (SS 10, R 24, B 2b, R 7.) 



This "feeding from both sides" has been mentioned in a previous topic (Billing 

 and feeding in uniting, Chapter II), under which are described a few cases in 

 which the male was observed to "feed" the female. This sort of "feeding" is, 

 however, connected with the sexual billing which precedes a copulation. But the 

 close similarity of the activities in the two kinds of "feeding" is pertainly remark- 

 able; for it is stated that "the male feeds the female with the same up-and-down 

 shake of head and crop as is used with the young, and then she shifts to the other 

 side," and also that the male opens his beak and the female inserts hers first on one 

 side and then on the other. 2 



Fulton, on page 42 of the work already cited, states: 



"The pigeon's 'milk/ which has pointed so many a joke, is no myth, but a veritable existence; 

 the fact being that as the time for hatching approaches the crops of both old birds secrete a soft 

 substance closely resembling curd, which forms the solid food of the young pigeons for some days, 

 after which its quantity slowly diminishes, and it becomes gradually mixed with the grain more or 

 less softened, till by degrees the young pigeon is thus introduced to hard food and can feed itself. 

 This 'soft food,' as it is called, is pumped up by the old ones with a sort of vomiting action, and the 

 little pigeons have just sufficient sense to feel about for the bills of the old birds, into which they 

 insert their own, and are thus fed; they will feel in the same way for the finger if held to them. It 

 is singular, but true, that the beak of a young pigeon, being thus almost entirely intended for a kind 

 of suction, is much thicker and larger in proportion to the body than in after life, besides being of a 

 soft and fleshy character. It looks immense at first in proportion to the bird, but gradually shrinks 

 and hardens." 



ANOMALOUS FEEDING BEHAVIOR. 



Two young hybrids, one white (H) and the other blond (J), were with their foster-parents 

 in a cage. The old birds were at the time out of the nest. The white young (H) appealed 

 to J for food, whereupon the latter several times opened his beak to receive that of his 

 nest-mate, and shook his crop and wings as if it would give up food. Soon the white 

 young actually inserted its beak into that of / and the latter fed it in a vigorous manner, 

 pumping up food liberally until I interrupted, thinking it could not be well for J to part 

 with its food. J is only 12 days old, and it is at least 3 days behind its companion in the 

 development of its feathers. It was a strange sight to see this unfledged bird, with only 

 pin-feathers on its head, and much of its body bare, feeding another bird more advanced 

 in its feathers, although of about the same age and weight. I have never before seen or 

 heard of such a performance. 



I have seen both young and old throw up food that was indigestible, especially when 

 sick. I have seen them in good health overeat and cram themselves with more than could 

 be readily swallowed, and then seek relief in throwing up. In so doing the movements 

 may all be the same as in feeding the young the head is held down, the beak open, the 



1 The parent takes care to feed both young. I am not sure that this is intentional, but it looks almost so. The 

 parent feeds for a time, then stops, disengages, and moves around a short distance before commencing to feed again, 

 so that it usually happens the other young gets the second feeding. (Conv. W. C.) 



2 This statement is made for the bronze-wing, which is a species that copulates on the ground. For those species 

 which "bill " and copulate on a perch, or branch of a tree, the shifting of the billing from one side to the other would 

 seem to be a rather difficult or awkward matter. Possibly, however, it occurs in these latter species also. It certainly 

 sometimes occurs in the case of ring-doves when these birds copulate on the ground. O. R. 



