OFTHE GIFT V. V. DICKEYFLORENCE THETO OF CALIFORNIAUNIVERSITY LOS ANGELESAT R. DICKEYDONALDTHE LIBRARY ZOOLOGYVERTEBRATEOF A STUDY OF THE PERIODSINCUBATION OF BIRDS WHAT DETERMINES THEIR LENGTHS? BY Sc.W. H. M. M.BERGTOLD, D., UnionMember the Americanof Ornithologists' THE KENDRICK-BELLAMY CO. DENVER. COLORADO 1917 1917Copyright, W. H. BERGTOLDBy PRESS OF CARSON-HARPER Co. 2019 Stout St COLO.DENVER, (2>9% PREFACE In the course of certain studies in moreornithology, avian undertaken the authorparticularly physiology, by several it became that the factorsyears ago, early apparent or the of the incubationfixing determining length period birds was if notwith different unknown.largely, wholly, The the results of a andfollowing pages give prolonged detailed of this of birdstudy phase physiology. The author all classification as aregards zoologic means, not an the classification in this work isend; adopted merely a means of the of a mass of data fullfacilitating handling of contradictions and and the selection thisuncertainties, of bird classification was a ofparticular governed by question the author in no wishes toexpediency only; obviously way be understood as this classification to be thebelieving best, or the one. The author that thisonly believes, however, classification is an reflection of ourup-to-date present of the relation of various birds to each other.