Instance of a Pigeon fostering Kittens. 201 



grown almost as large as herself, would partake of her mater- 

 nal bounty : when satiated, they would return to their fre- 

 quented pasture. — Id. 



Mammiferous Animals and Birds. — A kind of domes- 

 ticated Pigeon has been observed to be apparently fostering 

 the Young of' a hind of Cat that is wild in St. Vincent. — 

 Whilst stationed in the Island of St. Vincent, in the West 

 Indies, last year (1834), as a military officer, I kept some 

 pigeons in a box of holes of the usual shape, nailed up 

 against the gable end of my stable, but within reach of cats 

 from the roof. Near the spot there are many wild cats, 

 which breed in inaccessible rocks. One morning, a sol- 

 dier, who took care of the pigeons, told me that he had 

 found a pigeon sitting on several kittens, and, apparently, 

 nursing them with care; whilst the kittens seemed making 

 every effort to suck the pigeon. He said that he removed 

 them, as the cat would, no doubt, return at night, and might 

 kill the pigeon ; but that they were placed very near, in order 

 that their mother might hear them, and be led to them by 

 their cries. I was so much interested by this curious fact, 

 that I desired the soldier to replace them in the same box ; 

 and I returned in a few hours afterwards, and found the un- 

 happy pigeon sitting on the kittens, but tormented by their 

 unceasing efforts to procure milk; whilst she was making con- 

 stant efforts to arrange them, as if to keep them quiet, that she 

 might be suffered to sit still. They remained in her nest dur- 

 ing the rest of the day, and were again removed at night, 

 from fear of the cat : but I brought the officer commanding 

 the troops there, and another officer, to witness it; and they 

 agreed that a scene so, to us, out of the usual course of 

 nature, as a bird to ba nursing quadrupeds, of a species, 

 too, her avowed enemy, required witnesses to attest it. — - 

 JV. P. Hampstead, March 14. 183.5. [Who sent his name, 

 and that of his place of residence, more particularly than 

 above.] 



Birds.' — I have no pretensions as an ornithologist; but, 

 having been a resident in the country for the last two years, 

 I find no pursuit so delightful as attention to birds. I have 

 not been fortunate enough to discover any rare ones, except 



The Bohemian Waxwing^ which I met with last winter on 

 Hardwick Heath and at Rougham, both places near this town. 

 Two birds of this species were afterwards shot in the neigh- 

 bourhood ; and, I believe, they were found in many other parts 

 of the kingdom. To-day, however (Nov. 11. 1835.)? I have 

 seen one species, which, as far as I can learn, is quite as un- 

 common here : it is 



Vol. IX. — No. 60. q 



