Chap. XIV. Unpaired Birds. 409 



season he kept an account, and found that he had shot thirty-five 

 birds from the same nest; these consisted of both males and 

 females, but in what proportion he could not say : nevertheless, 

 after all this destruction, a brood was reared. 6 



These facts well deserve attention. How is it that there are 

 birds enough, ready to replace immediately a lost mate of either 

 sex ? Magpies, jays, carrion-crows, partridges, and some other 

 birds, are always seen during the spring in pairs, and never by 

 themselves ; and these offer at first sight the most perplexing 

 cases. But birds of the same sex, although of course not truly 

 paired, sometimes live in pairs or in small parties, as is known 

 to be the case with pigeons and partridges. Birds also sometimes 

 live in triplets, as has been observed with starlings, carrion-crows, 

 parrots, and partridges. With partridges two females have been 

 known to live with one male, and two males with one female. 

 In all such cases it is probable that the union would be easily 

 broken ; and one of the three would readily pair with a widow or 

 widower. The males of certain birds may occasionally be heard 

 pouring forth their love-song long after the proper time, shew- 

 ing that they have either lost or never gained a mate. Death 

 from accident or disease of one of a pair, would leave the other 

 free and single ; and there is reason to believe that female birds 

 during the breeding-season are especially liable to premature 

 death. Again, birds which have had their nests destroyed, or 

 barren pairs, or retarded individuals, would easily be induced to 

 desert their mates, and would probably be glad to take what 

 share they could of the pleasures and duties of rearing offspring 

 although not their own. 7 Such contingencies as these probably 

 explain most of the foregoing cases. 8 .Nevertheless, it is a strange 



6 On the peregrine falcon see 1824. In regard to birds living in 

 Thompson, * Nat. Hist, of Ireland, triplets, I owe to Mr. Jenner Weir 

 Birds,' vol. i. 1849, p. 39. On owls, the cases of the starlings and parrots, 

 sparrows, and partridges, see White, and to Mr. Fox, of partridges ; on 

 i Nat. Hist, of Selborne,' edit, of carrion-crows, see the ' Field,' 1868, 

 1825, vol. i. p. 139. On the Phoeni- p. 415. On various male birds 

 cura, see Loudon's ' Mag. of Nat. singing after the proper period, see 

 Hist.' vol. vii. 1834, p. 245. Brehm Eev. L. Jenyns, ' Observations in 

 (' Thierleben,' B. i\\ s. 991) also Natural History,' 1846, p. 87. 

 alludes to cases of birds thrice mated 8 The following case has been 

 during the same day. given (' The Times,' Aug. 6th, 1868) 



7 See White (' Nat. Hist, of Sel- by the Rev. F. 0. Morris, on the 

 borne,' 1825, vol. i. p. 140) on the authority of the Hon. and Rev. O. 

 existence, early in the season, of W. Forester. " The gamekeeper 

 small coveys of male partridges, of " here found a hawk's nest this year, 

 which fact I have heard other in- " with five young ones oa it. He 

 6tances. See Jenner, on the retarded " took four and killed them, but 

 state cf the generative organs in " left one with its wing;s clipped as 

 certain birds, in ' Phil. Transact.' " a decoy to destroy the old ones by 



