■I'AMINC AND l'l';i':i)IN(; HIKDS 357 



.111(1 finally Ih' ii:<\ ;i ])ic((: df the worm to c.icli one The 

 h;iiiic Irssoii was rciicalcd witli the next worm, and the 

 n(txt, iind so on lor nearly an lioiir ; but iicvlt a youn^^ster 

 oK'cicd to do anything; lint sit nj) and hc^i;. That teacher 

 will remain a niodid of p.iliencie as lon^ as I live. It 

 was till- most innnsinj; and most inslrnctive bit of bird 

 lile I ever observed, and I saw in a (lash just why it 

 is that a youn^; bird may starve with food piled high 

 aronnil it. 



ilow long lliis period of helplessness lasts for dilfi'rent 

 birds I liavit never lonnil stated in the books. I have 

 lonnd it to be from two to five days with young robins. 

 I )nring this timeevi'iy moisel must be: placed in llir youiii; 

 hinl's iNciit/t, and it should be U'll at least once an hour 

 from siinris<- to sunset. 



What is a nestling's meiin for a. day.' No one has 

 answered t his (|uest ion.' 'I'here an; about sixteen nu;als to 

 be acconnted foi-. Are Ihey varied coinsc dinners, with 

 insi'cts and frnit lor desseit ? Are they ralhei- monotonous 

 allaiis? 1 )oes a parent bird bring worms to its young 

 for one nu'al, grasshoppers for the next, and berries for 

 the third or do they gel the- sinne thing all day long? 

 1 )o Ihey make no intelligent choice, but feed whatever 

 they lind lirst ? These ipieslions may seem farfetched, 

 but to one who has been trying his hand at feeding young 

 birds Ihey beconu- intensidy practical. Noni- of them have 

 been answered, so fai' as 1 know; but the fact seems to 



' I wiiM (incii wiil( liInK live yininx ({'(hir liii'dn jiisl (iiil of tlio ni'sl, wliiu) 

 the iiKillu'i bird llrw (lowii In Uicin. Tlicy with :i11 ii\ a iiiw 1111 ;i lwi|^, 

 uml I Miivv lli'i (Iriip ii 10(1 1 (in;(iil iiiln ciicli (if Iho (i|i(jn niodtlis ill Uini, 

 I HJioiild likd to liiivii known wlint lliuii' \\i.s\l \\w.\.\ was, 



