l8 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 'J2 



both eyes was destroyed though other injury was not present. This 

 bird rested quietly on the water, while I went for a boat in order to 

 retrieve it. On reaching the spot fifteen minutes later the body tem- 

 perature of the duck was found to register only 102.0°, a reading 

 considerably below normal. Many other examples of a similar sort 

 in the case of birds bearing only slight wounds have come under 

 observation. The rapid reduction in body heat is due perhaps to an 

 abnormal exchange and radiation through the air-sacs. 



TEMPERATURE OF YOUNG 



During the course of this investigation occasional opportunities 

 were presented for securing temperatures on nestling birds or on 

 young of species that leave the nest as soon as hatched. These have 

 not been used in securing the average temperatures for each species 

 given in table 3 or for the family records in table 4, as they showed 

 some variations from readings for adults. The results obtained are, 

 however, of considerable interest and are presented in tabular form 

 herewith in order that they may be discussed briefly. In this table 

 the few species included are grouped under family headings. In 

 the second column is given the temperature and under remarks is 

 included a statement of the approximate age of the individual and the 

 manner in which the temperature was taken. In certain passerine 

 species, where axillar temperatures were taken, the end of the ther- 

 mometer was held closely in the hollow between the folded wing and 

 the body. Birds utilized from the same nest or brood are grouped in 

 brackets. 



Of the species listed those belonging to the families Colymbidae, 

 Laridae, Anatidae, Rallidae and Recurvirostridae are precocial while 

 those listed under Columbidae, Tyrannidae, Hirundinidae, Mniotilti- 

 dae, Mimidae, Paridae, and Turdidae are altricial. A difference in the 

 temperature records in the two groups is readily apparent upon 

 examining the table. In the group of precocial birds there is on the 

 whole less variation and the temperatures given closely approxi- 

 mate those of adults of the same species. The only wide divergence 

 in this group is in the case of the three-day old young of the black- 

 necked stilt {HivianfopHs incxicanus) . It so happened, however, 

 that the temperatures of these three birds were taken upon a cold 

 raw day, when the young were very evidently affected by the external 

 cold, perhaps through lack of sufficient food. 



In the case of the altricial species considerable variation is present 

 and these birds show a much lower average temperature than adults. 



