136 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 



SO that as soon as it has received sufficient food the muscles 

 refuse to act. If the old bird does not get the proper reaction, 

 it removes the food from the throat of the young bird and gives 

 it to the next one. As the young bird gets older the food is not 

 placed so far down the throat. The bird is gradually taught to 

 pick up or catch food of its own accord. 



(b) Regurgitation 



Hummingbird Nu HuRS 



Waxwing Nu Wg2 



Least bittern Nu BiLS 



At first these birds are fed by regurgitation upon partially 

 digested food. In some cases this is soon changed to a diet of 

 insects. Hummingbirds, waxwings, doves and a few others con- 

 tinue to feed by regurgitation during the entire period. 



(c) Pelican method 



Brown Pelican, Habitat Group, Showing 

 Large Number of Birds in Various 

 Attitudes. American Museum of Nat- 

 ural History, New York. (1918) Nu PfBl 



Young pelicans put their heads into the pouch of the old bird 

 for their food. 



(d) Hawk method — tearing food apart 



Cooper hawk Nu HC4 



Young hawks are early taught to pull their prey apart and 

 later to fly up and take it from the talons of the old bird. 



(e) Teaching young to feed by themselves 



Tree swallows, when young Nu SuT5 



Tree swallows, when older Nu SuTS4 



Young swallows are taught to catch flying insects by the old 

 birds flying past them and dropping the insects into their wide 

 open mouths without stopping, and later repeating this opera- 

 tion when the young birds have learned to fly and follow them 

 about. 



Duck hawk Nu HD4 and Nu HD5 



b Brooding 



Normal — beneath breast and wings 



Killdeer Nu Ke7 



Veery Nu Ve6 



Robin in rain Nu Ro7 



