74 



Bird- Lore 



small to be identified, even with a powerful field glass. Occasionally a mul- 

 berry was brought from a neighboring tree. During the second day the parents 

 spent most of their time standing over the nest with outstretched wings, to protect 

 the young from the sun's rays. During the middle of the day the young were fed 

 only occasionally, but later in the day they were fed oftener; but still they were 

 shielded by the parents, who changed their- position a little to one side, as the 

 sun sank nearer the horizon. Likewise, on the forenoon of the fourth day, the 

 morning being very hot, the attention of the parents was given to hovering 

 the young rather than to feeding them. Later in the forenoon when the sky 



became clouded, they stopped hover- 

 ing and fed the young oftener. This 

 was the last day that the birds were 

 observed to shield the young from 

 the heat of the sun. 



The work of feeding the young 

 was about equally shared by both 

 birds, who showed themselves in 

 this, as in other ways, a loyal and 

 devoted couple. After feeding the 

 young birds, the parents would fre- 

 quently remain standing on the 

 gutter shielding the nest, or at some 

 point near, till its mate returned. 



The frequency of feeding seemed 

 to depend on the age of the young, 

 the kind of day and the time of 

 day. The older the young grew the 

 oftener they were fed. During the 

 first few days they were fed oftener 

 on a cloudy day and less often dur- 

 ing the middle of the hot days, the 

 attention of the parents being en- 

 gaged in protecting the young from the sun's rays. 



Observations were made every few days on the feeding habits for periods 

 ranging from thirty minutes to two hours, with the following results. 



Day Kind of day Time of day Times fed in an hour 



Second Very hot Noon 10 



Fourth Very hot Middle of forenoon 15 



Sixth ... Medium Last of forenoon 16 



Eighth Medium Middle of afternoon 20 



Ninth Medium Middle of forenoon 25 



Frequently food was brought so often by the parents that one was obliged to 

 wait near the nest till its mate had finished disposing of the provisions which it 

 was parceling out to four hungry mouths. 



KINGBIRD PREPARING TO 

 FEED YOUNG 



