1920.] Study of Nestling Birds. 867 



claws, and waving its nnked wings in an obvious endeavoui- 

 to nse these as subsidiary levers, it tried to hoist itself 

 upwards by hooking its bill on to the edge of my finger. 

 The violence of the muscular effort was evidenced by tlie 

 way its whole physiognomy became contorted and its jaws 

 stood out from the side of its face as sharp protending 

 angles. A surprisingly good hold Avas obtained l)y the tip 

 of tlie lower mandible, which appeared to be slightly 

 decurved at its extremity. This nestling repeated these 

 attempts to climb at intervals until it became too exhausted 

 to make any further effort. 



Although the nestling Wryneck {lynx turquilla) agrees 

 with other Picarian species in being without conspicuous 

 rictal flanges, when hatched the tomia of the mandibles do 



Text-fiiiure 11. 



Wryneck \Iynx torquilla), newly hatched, to show large lower mandible. 



not coincide as in the Swift, Nightjar, etc. During early 

 infancy the lower mandible is appreciably larger than the 

 upper. This member not only protudes beyond the tip of 

 the maxilla, but has a comparatively large swollen process 

 running along its posterior edge (fig. llj. A possible use 

 for this curiously formed mandible may be found when the 

 young Wryneck^s food is examined. I believe I am right 

 in saying that the parents feed their young very largely, if 

 not exclusively, upon quantities of ants which are carried 

 to the nesting-hole in the throat and bill. It is obvious 

 that a proportionately large, shovel-like mandible would 

 greatly facilitate the safe transference of these bundles of 

 small insects and would minimize the chance of their being 

 spilled and wasted. The bill acquires its normal shape 

 before the bird is fully fledged. 



The remarkable iieel-pads found in nestling Wrynecks 



