YOUNG BIRDS IN THE NURSERY 65 



space, and the force of the descent is then broken by 

 the parents alternattly placing themselves beneath the 

 falling youngster to retard its pace, else death from 

 concussion would result on contact with the glittering 

 sea three hundred feet or so below. But occasionally, it 

 wouM seem, persuasion is in vain. One of the exasperated 

 parents then seizes the timid one by the back of the 

 neck and flies down with it. 



One is often asked, How do young birds learn to fly ? 

 There is no period of " learning " : flight is a mode of 

 motion which will not permit of experiments. When a 

 youngster first launches itself into the air it must fly or 

 die. In species where rapid evolutions in mid-air are 

 necessary, as in the case of raptorial birds pursuing an 

 agile prey, which must be overtaken and struck with the 

 feet, a considerable amount of practice is necessary, 

 and there is good evidence that instruction is also given 

 by the parents. But of this more presently. It seems 

 certain that before the first momentous plunge is under- 

 taken the muscles of flight, and their nice adjustments of 

 movement necessary to ensure efiiciency, are practised by 

 the nestling in periodical outbursts of wing-flapping at the 

 edge of the nest. 



Mr. H. B. Macpherson is one of the few men who have 

 witnessed such practice, and his account thereof he has 

 embodied in his book " The Home Life of the Eagle," one 

 of the most fascinating studies in bird life ever written. 

 He kept a nestling golden eagle under observation, in its 

 native wilds, for five long months — ^long because during 

 much of the time he was subjected to real hardship from 

 exposure to cold, wind and rain, 3,000 feet up a mountain 

 side. But this by the way. Not until this nestling was 

 two months old did he begin this practice. Then, several 



5 



