376 Zoology. 



but the loudness of his note often obliged her to put him outside of the 

 window, among some trees which were trained up in front of the house. 

 One morning during breakfast, when the cage was thus placed, a sparrow 

 was observed to fly round and around it, to stand upon the top, and to 

 twitter to the bird within, between whom and itself a species of reciprocal 

 conversation at length began to ensue. After a few moments he flew away, 

 but returned in a short time, bearing a worm * in his bill, which he dropped 

 into the cage, and again flew away. Similar presents were received day 

 after day, at the same time, by the canary, from his generous friend the 

 sparrow, with whom he at length became so intimate, that he very often 

 received the food thus brought, into his own bill, from that of the sparrow. 

 An affair so curious and interesting had, I assure you, often many spectators; 

 and some of the neighbours, to try the extent of the sparrow's benevolence, 

 also hung their birds out at the window, when, curious to relate, they found 

 them also fed ; but the first and longest visit was always paid by the sparrow 

 to his earliest acquaintance. 



Though thus intimate and social with his own kind, as his historian I must 

 not forget to observe that this sparrow was extremely shy and timid with 

 respect to human beings ; for, though many were witnesses of what I have 

 related, they were still obliged to observe at a distance, and in silence, 

 otherwise he instantly flew away. Whether this arose from a feeling of 

 injury that he had received from any of our species, I cannot say; though, most 

 probably, he had been robbed of his young by some mischievous boy, or other- 

 wise he could not have had so much time to devote to strangers. The sum- 

 mer, however, passed away, and autumn's many-coloured foliage was already 

 scattered by the breath of winter, ere the sparrow ceased to visit his captive 

 friends. But at length it was observed that one day the benevolent bird 

 came not, that another and another still passed away with the same omis- 

 sion, and, in fine, that he came not again 1 I wish that I could add to the 

 interest and sublimity of my tale, by finishing it with an affecting description 

 of the deaths of at least some of the captive birds ; but truth forbids the re- 

 lation, and such only, Mr. Editor, will be at any time offered to you by your 

 correspondent, — C. 



Introduction of Foreign Birds, — Every one who admires the music of 

 the groves, and who resides in a country too far north to be visited by 

 the nightingale, regrets the absence of that far-famed bird. It is believed 

 by those who have studied the habits of our migratory songsters, that both 

 old and young ones return to their old haunts in the breeding season. 

 Hence it has been suggested that,.if any of these annual visitants were bred 

 beyond the ordinary limits of their accustomed place of nidification, the 

 young, perhaps, would return to the same place in the following season. 



Relying on this as a means of introducing the nightingale to the northern 

 parts of the island. Sir John Sinclair commissioned the late Mr. Dickson, of 

 Covent Garden, to buy for him as many nightingales' eggs, at a shilling each, 

 as he could procure. This was done accordingly ; the eggs were carefully 

 packed in wool, and sent to Sir John by the mail. 



In the mean time, the Baronet had employed men to find and take care 

 of several nests of the robin-redbreast, in places where they might hatch 

 in security. The eggs of the robins were exchanged for those of the night- 

 ingales, were sat upon, hatched, and brought up by their foster-parents, f 

 The young nightingales flew at the usual time, were seen for some time 

 afterwards, emigrated, it was supposed, at the usual period (September), but 

 never returned to the place of their birth. 



* I question the fact of a canary eating worms at all. — J. R. 

 t Redbreasts readily forsake their own eggs, when they are touched. 

 How did they relish the foreign ones ? — J. R. 



