. Audubon . rst fed by regurgi-tation. The parent birdswallows the food andgives it to the young ina partially digestedstate. Some, like theMourning Doves andGoldfinches, continuethis process as long asthey feed the and Bitterns doalso, at least as long asthe young are in thenest, and one never seesone of these birds re-turning to its nest withanything in its use theircrops as regular market-baskets and return to the nest with their necks bulging with a great varietyof small fruits and insects, mostly in a good state of preservation. Withthe majority of common birds,
. Audubon . rst fed by regurgi-tation. The parent birdswallows the food andgives it to the young ina partially digestedstate. Some, like theMourning Doves andGoldfinches, continuethis process as long asthey feed the and Bitterns doalso, at least as long asthe young are in thenest, and one never seesone of these birds re-turning to its nest withanything in its use theircrops as regular market-baskets and return to the nest with their necks bulging with a great varietyof small fruits and insects, mostly in a good state of preservation. Withthe majority of common birds, however, this method of feeding is continuedbut a short time, if at all, and it is a familiar sight to see the parent birdsreturning to their young with insects or fruit in their bills. The commonest method of feeding is for the old bird to put its bill, con-taining the food, far down into the throat of the young. This prevents anylive insect from escaping. In birds that regurgitate food, however, there are. HERONS REGURGITATE THE lOOD INTO THE MOUTHS OF THE YOUNG IN THE CURIOUS WAV SHOWN HERE BY THE LEAST BITTERN 296 Bird-Lore several different methods of transferring the food. Ln birds like the Pelicansand Cormorants, which bring back fish in their throat-pouches, the old birdmerely opens its bill and permits the young to rummage around inside. Some-times they almost disappear down the throat of the old bird. With the Herons,as shown in the photograph of the Least Bittern, the old bird turns its headon the side and the young grasps it with a scissors-like action, dilating itslower mandibles so as to catch whatever comes out of the throat of the oldbird. To the onlooker, it appears like a very clumsy performance, but littlefood seems ever to be wasted by spilling. Young Mourning Doves haveswellings at the corner of the mouth which the old birds press when they inter-lock bills to inspire the proper swallowing action of the young. I oncetried to raise a crippled young Dove and
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectorn
