164 AMERIOAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



It was quite a trial not to be able to distinguish between the two birds dur- 

 ing the period of incubation. We never saw one of them take the place of 

 the other one on the nest but we witnessed twice as beautiful a scene, as can 

 be imagined, Avhen one bird stood upon the edge of the nest and fed the 

 other. Their colors were so exquisite, tlieir attitudes so graceful, and their 

 bearing so free from fear or susjjicion ! I have seen the same incident with 

 other birds, but the manner was never so pleasing as in this case. 



After the young appeared, their parents became altogether changed. 

 They seemed stricken with fear at the sight of a person and often assumed a 

 protective attitude, which was very interesting. The crests would fall, the 

 r,ecks stretch out. till they looked as much like anything else as birds ; and in 

 this strained posture, they would remain motionless. One day one of the 

 parents was feeding nestlings as we approached. When we were within a 

 few feet, he assumed a bottle-like position and held it for exactly seventeen 

 minutes. At the end of that time, out of sheer pity, we moved back, and the 

 bird sank beside the young ones, who all that time time had held their mouths 

 open in silent appeal. Their demeanor was no less wonderful than that of 

 the older bird. It was not many days till they themselves, were adopting 

 the adult plan of rendering themselves unconsiDicuous. 



One morning, when they were two weeks old, we found two of them on 

 the ground, where we all but stepped on them. We picked them up. They 

 were perfectly calm and apparently without fear. When we attempted some 

 photographs, the elder, or the stronger, posed for us in the attitude which 

 the adult bird had previously taken for protection. It was no fault of his 

 that the work failed and the opportunity was lost. If he was afraid he 

 uttered no sound and made no eiFort to get away. If his parents were 

 near and were alarmed for him, they, too, bore their anxiety in silence. 



The young birds were, on this occasion, fully clad in a sleek, silken suit of 

 o'i-avish-brown, like their parents : no crimson, but a full line of yellow across 

 their tails, faces with only a little black; crests partly developed. They 

 could fly fairly well. The children fed them with red raspberries, as they 

 had seen the parent-birds do. We felt that they were in great peril from 

 cats, that prowled about half-fed, eating all they could get; so we ventured 

 to put them back into the nest. To our surprise they remained there two 

 whole days. Perhaps a little experience in the world had taught them that 

 home was a pretty good place. When they again ventured forth, the three 

 went together, and were soon led by their wise parents to "fresh fields and 

 pastures new." 



