. The bird, its form and function . Fig. 246.—Black footed Penguin. •KSb^&k t l X^.ljfl^ 0 Fig. 247.—Pickerel. (Keller, photographer. From life, swimming.) PREDACIOUS, AQUATIC ANIMALS, SHOWING AGGRESSIVE COLORATION. 310 The Body of a Bird 31 1 An instance of what has been called unconsciousmimicry seems to exist in the cuckoo of the Old World,which, like our cowbird, is parasitical in habits, makingno nest of its own, but depositing its eggs in the nests ofother species of birds. The cuckoo bears a striking. Fig. 248.—Ivory Gull. Aggressive and protective coloration in an Arctic Gull. resembla
. The bird, its form and function . Fig. 246.—Black footed Penguin. •KSb^&k t l X^.ljfl^ 0 Fig. 247.—Pickerel. (Keller, photographer. From life, swimming.) PREDACIOUS, AQUATIC ANIMALS, SHOWING AGGRESSIVE COLORATION. 310 The Body of a Bird 31 1 An instance of what has been called unconsciousmimicry seems to exist in the cuckoo of the Old World,which, like our cowbird, is parasitical in habits, makingno nest of its own, but depositing its eggs in the nests ofother species of birds. The cuckoo bears a striking. Fig. 248.—Ivory Gull. Aggressive and protective coloration in an Arctic Gull. resemblance to a small hawk, both in general pattern andin its darting flight. The name Hawk-cuckoo has beenapplied to a genus of these birds in India; the name beinggiven because of the resemblance to a hawk. This simi-larity may be of great use in temporarily frighteningaway the owners of the nest in which the bird wishes 312 The Bird to deposit an egg. A few other instances are known, aswhere a fierce, bird-killing hawk resembles a harmless, insectivorous species,perhaps by this decep-tion deluding smallbirds. Many of the plovershave one, or even two,bands of black encir-cling the neck orbreast, and in theCrook-billed Plover ofNew Zealand there isa most interesting mod-ification of this ap-parent ornament. Thisbird feeds by runningrapidly around bouldersand inserting its crook-ed bill beneath themto obtain the insectswhich compose its pectoral ring ofblack, instead of being complete, is said to
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1906
