1876,] 
Certain Phases of Bird-Life . 
361 
VL CERTAIN PHASES OF BIRD-LIFE. 
By Charles C. Abbott, M.D. 
OTWITHSTANDING so general an interest has 
been taken in studying the habits of our birds, by 
both scientific and amateur naturalists, there are 
several phases of bird-life to which little or no attention has 
been paid ; at least scant reference, if any, has been made 
to them in ornithological literature. 
One such feature of bird-life is the mode of acquiring the 
range of flight-power characteristic of each species. A care- 
ful and long-continued study of our birds in their chosen 
haunts, free from all unnatural (i.e., human) persecution, 
has enabled me to deteCt but little variation in the flight- 
powers of the individuals of any species of bird observed 
— far less than in the general range of their habits ; but 
still such individual variation, I think, does exist. A bird 
is not a perfeCtly-adapted machine, capable of faultlessly 
filling its destined place in Nature, and unerringly performing 
everything required of it. With the simple growth of the 
feathers of the wing there does not come the ability to fly. 
Just as creeping precedes walking, in children, this is a 
gradually-acquired power. The commencement may be 
termed “ flapping,” and consists in simply breaking the force 
of a descent ; this is followed by a more effectual use of the 
wings, and horizontal progression, and it is some time sub- 
sequent to this that the young birds attain to the power of 
upward flight. This holds good of a considerable number of 
species, studied with special reference to their flight — as the 
robin, the wood-thrush, cedar-bird, cat-bird, pewee, and 
indigo-bird. 
It is doubtful if young birds, while yet in their nests, are 
conscious of the use to be made of their wings. After long- 
continued experimenting, I find they make no use of them 
in endeavouring to escape, but trust to their legs entirely if 
removed from the nest, or defend themselves by pecking at 
the intruder. When a sufficient growth of feather has been 
obtained the parent-birds, direCtly and indirectly, instruct 
them, or, perhaps more properly, force them to use their 
wings. So, at least, I can only interpret certain habitual 
actions of the parent birds with reference to their newly- 
fledged young. 
