58 GKOWTH OF THE SQUABS. [CHAP. 11. 



merit an immunity and free commons till the time of 

 their natural decease. 



At the end of eighteen days from the laying of the 

 second egg (but the time cannot be invariably fixed 

 within several hours) a young one will appear. Subse- 

 quently, at a short but uncertain interval, sometimes 

 comes another chick, sometimes remains an addle egg. 

 Of all young things, babies included, a new-hatched 

 Pigeon ranks among the most helpless, as the annexed 

 cut indicates with tolerable accuracy. Most little birds, 



Pigeon-Chick, a day old. 



if blind, if weak, can at least open their mouths to be 

 fed ; but these actually have their nutriment pumped 

 into them. They have just instinctive sense enough 

 to feel for the bills of their parents ; they will make 

 the same half -conscious movement to find the tip of 

 your finger, if you take them in your hand. And this 

 act of pumping from the stomachs of the parents is so 

 efficiently performed, as to be, without offence, incre- 



