SCIENCE 



NEW YORK, AUGUST 19, 1893. 



THE BIRD ON ITS NEST. 



BY MORRIS GIBBS. 



Although many interesting points in relation to the nest- 

 ing habits of our friends, the birds, have appeared, I have 

 yet to see anything concerning the position which the pro- 

 spective parent assumes while incubating. The subject has 

 been of much interest to me, and in the past years many 

 observations have been made, which plainly indicate that 

 the proprietors of nearly all nests "have their exits and 

 their entrances." Many there are, as the kingfishers, wood- 

 peckers, and other species, which reach their eggs by a 

 single opening or burrow, and these of necessity must 

 emerge from the same source; but all seem to have a well- 

 defined position in sitting, as we shall see. 



All can remember the attitude of the domestic hen, turkey, 

 or goose, and how rarely this position is changed; and with 

 the wild bird the tendency to a shift is even less, for with 

 barn-yard fowls we can alter their posture by placing a 

 board in a variety of positions about the nest, but with the 

 inhabitants of the wood any interference generally results 

 in desertion. The robin when building her nest often tries 

 how her brooding breast is to fit the growing structure, and 

 this, too, when a bare, flat platform gives no indication of 

 the elevated sides to follow. Later, the male sits in the 

 forming cup, and speculates, probably, on the outcome of 

 his efforts, and views the outlook from the crotch. During 

 the four days of egg-laying the female is not on, or rather 

 in, the structure to any extent, unless the weather is cold or 

 wet, and she assumes almost any position. It is only after 

 the duties of incubation begin, a period which lasts fourteen 

 days to a dot, that the robins adopt a standard, shared in by 

 each of the pair. The male, who shares in the duties of 

 sitting, when going to take his trick, almost invariably flies 

 towards his mate in the same path, and arriving at the back 

 door, just as his feet are about to touch the edge, the female 

 is seen to dart forward between the branches which comprise 

 the front door. This front door, as I prefer to call it, is then 

 really the exit, and toward it the incubating bird always 

 points her bill. It never directs toward the tree-trunk, and 

 generally points towards an open spa,ce in the foliage when 

 in a thick-leaved tree or bush. 



With all birds, so far as I am able to learn, the exit is a 

 point of observation for the sitter, from which it can get a 

 view of friends and foes. The owls and hawks from an ele- 

 vated position can command a fine view of the surroundings. 

 With all aquatic birds the sitter almost invariably occupies a 

 position presenting toward the water. Shore birds, as the 

 sandpipers, rest on their nests in a position to best view the 

 stream or pond. Rails and gallinules face the water, the 

 latter usually building so that they can plunge from their 

 homes directly into their favorite channels. The loon, who 

 builds, or rather forms, its nest away out from shore in a 

 mass of vegetable matter, usually the foundation of an old 

 muskrat's house, invariably faces the open, deep water. From 



that position it can slide into the lake at a second's notice. 

 Anyone can prove this position of the loon by examining the 

 premises when the owner is away. The nest proper is merely 

 a trough-like depression, evidently formed by the bird's efforts 

 at hollowing, rather than in building up the sides. This 

 oblong depression is a foot and a half long and o^er ten 

 inches wide, and the eggs are always placed from three- fifth.s 

 to two-thirds of the distance from the front end. 



In a large number of nests of the brown pelican, which I 

 examined on an island in Indian River, Florida, all gave 

 evidence that the old birds sat in one position, usually with 

 the front to the water. It was interesting to note, that, 

 although the very young birds, which occupied many of the 

 nests, assumed no regular position, the larger young nearly 

 all presented towards the shore. 



In the case of ruffed grouse and quail, the position occu- 

 pied while on the nest is invariably that which gives the best 

 view of the surroundings from the more or less concealed 

 retreat. Who ever heard of a grouse's nest where the old 

 bird faced into the brush pile or toward the stump or log? 



The arboreal sparrows, vireos, and many other smaller 

 birds usually sit upon nests built on horizontal limbs, with 

 the head from the trunk, and when the nest is much elevated 

 the position is usually chosen so that the sitter will face the 

 prevailing wind. Birds will nearly always, when on or off 

 the nest, face the wind ; and, if observations are taken, 

 nearly all birds on the nest will be found in one position if 

 a strong wind is blowing. 



FOOT DEFORMITY AS THE RESULT OF UNSCIEN- 

 TIFIC SHOES. 



BY W. M. L. COPLIN, M D. , AND D. BBVAN, M.D. 



In approaching the subject of scientific foot-dress, one of 

 necessity combats the traditions, experiences, and fashions 

 of centuries. If we are to judge of the foot coverings handed 

 down to us as relics from the courts of France, Spain, Eng- 

 land, and Germany, we can but conclude that for an ex- 

 tremely long period of time, probably eight or ten cen- 

 turies, the dressing of the human foot has been, even in the 

 so-called civilized countries, but slightly different, and only 

 in degree, from the customs of the followers of Confucius 

 for thousands of years. Fortunately for art, unfortunately 

 for the history of civilization, so called, the artist of olden 

 as well as modern times has not copied, except in portraiture, 

 the cramped foot, the narrow toe, tlie elevated heel, and the 

 pinched instep, which have long accompanied the human 

 foot. It seems reasonable to suppose, however, that the 

 Roman artist and critic, and the Grecian as well, fully at- 

 tempted to give us the perfect foot as found in the well-devel- 

 oped Grecian woman of the day. The sandals worn at the 

 time when Rome was in her splendor were undoubtedly so 

 constructed as to afford ample opportunity for the develop- 

 ment of the foot, and exhibit the beauty of its conformation. 

 The gladiators, if we are to judge of their physique by the 

 rude representationi! which are handed down to us from 

 their times, trained in extremely loose-fitting sandals, and 



