400 Observations on the 



This care is evinced about the period when the building of 

 the nest begins ; for.^ is the male that maintains, with great 

 obstinacy, the place where the nest is to be constructed. This 

 has been ascribed to the jealousy with which they assert 

 their rights as legitimate husbands ; and it is true that the 

 male birds of many species do not tolerate any of their own 

 species and sex within a certain district ; but the females are 

 never seen to contend for the building place as the males do. 



A starling had this year built its nest in a box, fixed on a 

 tree near my house. The young had scarcely left it, when a 

 couple of house-sparrows, who had before made several vain 

 endeavours to build in the same box, took possession of it. 

 A few days after, the young starlings being so far advanced 

 that they no longer required the incessant attention of their 

 parents, the latter appeared again, and dislodged the spar- 

 rows ; but only the males fought. The male starling cleared 

 the box of the feathers carried there by the sparrows, and by 

 making use of both beak and wings, drove the vociferous cock 

 sparrow to a good distance from the box. On the third morn- 

 ing the hen sparrow had laid an egg in the box ; the male 

 starling arrived, entered the box, brought out the egg in his 

 beak, and dropped it. The cock sparrow now, for the first 

 time, furiously attacked the starling, but was so ill received 

 that it made a precipitate retreat. After this the starling no 

 longer disputed the place with the sparrows, which built in 

 the box and reared their young. In a similar manner are 

 conducted all struggles for building places ; the males fight 

 it out, while the females remain passive spectators. 



I shall now treat on birds of prey. We as yet know too 

 little of the genera Cathartes, Sarcorhamphos, Gypogeranos, 

 and Vultur, to be able to state anything satisfactory with re- 

 gard to the manner in which the males behave to their pro- 

 geny. As to Gypaetos, we are likewise deficient in good ob- 

 servations. With reference to the eagle, however, we are 

 better informed. The great sea eagles, for instance, hover 

 in pairs over their eyries, and both parents take a share in 

 rearing their young. Nay, the male feeds and guides them, 

 in common with the female, after they have left the nest, un- 

 til they can provide for their own subsistence and safety. — 

 The same applies to the true eagles, (Aquila), and the river- 

 eagles, {Pandion). The serpent -eagles and rough- legged 

 buzzards, (Circaetos and Archibuteo), probably behave in the 

 same way. As to the true buzzards, {Buteo), I may refer to 

 numerous observations of my own. The male not only feeds 

 the female while she is sitting, but takes care of the young 

 with great fondness. 



