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Bird - Lore 



wings. A slender neck raised a heavy, blind head upward, the lleshy bill opened 

 and the Crow became a gaping mouth, begging for food. 



A week later, I found only two young birds in the nest. But these made up 

 for their lost brothers. They had nearl}- doubled in size, and everywhere dark 



CROWS TEN DAYS' OLD 



pin-feathers were appearing under the skin. The skin had now become an ugly, 

 dark brownish gray color. The eyes had opened. The only noise they made, 

 as the\- lay huddled in the bottom of the nest, was a hoarse croak. I removed 

 a small worm from the ear of one. Whether it was a natural parasite or had 

 merel}' taken refuge there I do not know. Three days later, when I jjhotographed 

 them, the only change was a lengthening of the pin-feathers. 



By May 12, at the age of about twenty days, the young birds looked more 

 like Crows. The ])in-feathers had grown and the enveloping sheaths had burst 

 at the end, causing the birds to be covered with dull black feathers. Only on 

 the large llight-feathers and tail did the sheaths show. The day was hot and the 

 sun shone down through the thin s])ring foliage on the unprotected backs of the 

 Crows. They lay quietly in their nest, necks stretched out, mouths open, breath- 

 ing heavily. 



After four days more, I found that another change had taken place. The 



