Page:Bird-lore Vol 08.djvu/155

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A Kingbird Family 119 and, as far as possible, of the kind. The average intervals between her returns was three to four minutes. There seemed to be no limit to the capacity of the young. The food consisted in large part of grasshoppers, katydids and crickets, with an occasional butterfly or caterpillar. I thought once that a raspberry was given them, but fruit formed no part of the regular diet. The insects were picked up in the grass within sight of the nest, and given to the young with most of the legs and wings on. CLEANING THE NEST; YOUNG THIRTEEN DAYS OLD The mother frequently went through a very amusing performance when feeding her nestlings. Her behavior on alighting at the nest and finding two yellow, wide-open mouths extended toward her as far as the supporting necks would allow, was indicative either of indecision or of a very malicious desire to tease. My first glimpse of these actions was a very interesting one and will serve as an illustration of her habit. She had brought a large grasshopper and received the usual welcome from the children at home. After a momentary hesitation, it went to the one that held his head the highest and opened his mouth the widest. Sturdy as he was, he could not swallow such a huge and not very smooth