BIRDS CONJUGAL FIDELITY. 271 



proposals made to her shortly before his arrival, the drake at- 

 tacked the luckless bird who would have supplanted him, beat 

 out his eyes, and inflicted so many injuries as to cause his death. 1 



Similarly, to give an instance or two with regard to 

 other birds, Jesse states the following as his own obser- 

 vation : 



A pair of swans had been inseparable companions for three 

 years, during which time they had reared three broods of 

 cygnets ; last autumn the male was killed, and since that time 

 the female has separated herself from all society with her own 

 species ; and. though at the time I am writing (the end of 

 March) the breeding season for swans has far advanced, she re- 

 mains in the same state of seclusion, resisting the addresses of 

 a male swan, who has been making advances towards forming 

 an acquaintance with her, either driving him away, or flying 

 from him whenever he comes near her. How long she will 

 continue in this state of widowhood I know not, but at present 

 it is quite evident that she has not forgotten her former 

 partner. 



This reminds me of a circumstance which lately happened 

 at Chalk Farm, near Hampton. A man, set to watch a field of 

 peas which had been much preyed upon by pigeons, shot an old 

 cock pigeon which had long been an inhabitant of the farm. 

 His mate, around whom he had for many a year cooed, whom 

 he had nourished from his own crop, and had assisted in rear- 

 ing numerous young ones, immediately settled on the ground by 

 his side, and showed her grief in the most expressive manner. 

 The labourer took up the dead bird, and tied it to a short stake, 

 thinking that it would frighten away the other depredators. 

 In this situation, however, the widow did not forsake her de- 

 ceased husband, but continued, day after day,walking slowly round 

 the stick. The kind-hearted wife of the bailiff of the farm 

 at last heard of the circumstance, and immediately went to 

 afford what relief she could to the poor bird. She told me that, 

 on arriving at the spot, she found the hen bird much exhausted, 

 and that she had made a circular beaten track round the dead 

 pigeon, making now and then a little spring towards him. On 

 the removal of the dead bird the hen returned to the dove- 

 cote. 2 



As evidence of the intensity of the maternal instinct 



1 Couch, Illustrations of Instinct, p. 165. 

 * Gleanings, vol. L, pp. 112-13. 



13 



