Zoology. 383 



has been tried over and over again to be rendered domestic, 

 but without success ; and Mr. White of Selborne mentions 

 the eggs being placed under the domestic pigeon (C domes- 

 tica Zy.), and hatched ; but, somehow, the young ones always 

 died: yet its congeners, the turtle (C Turtur) and the stock 

 pigeon (C. CE\ias L.), breed in confinement abundantly. 



Although the Eggs of the Common Partridge (Perdix cinerea 

 L.) may be hatched under the domestic hen, and the young 

 ones will become tame and familiar, yet I have never heard 

 of their breeding in captivity. 



77ie Guinea Fowl [Numidia Meleagris h.), although re- 

 claimed from its native wilds, retains much of its original in- 

 dependence, and seldom succeeds in rearing its own offspring, 

 which generally falls to the care of good stepmother hen. 



The Pea-hen {Vdvo cristdtus) is a slovenly mother, and not 

 to be depended upon for the safety of its brood ; but I have 

 known a tame common hen pheasant (Phasianus colchicus ^ 

 L.) very careful and assiduous in rearing its young. 



Poultry hatched by the Common Buzzard in Captivity, — 

 Now I am upon the subject of hatching, I recollect a sin- 

 gular instance occurring at a farmer's house at Wittington, 

 near Lichfield. A female common buzzard (Falco Buieo ^ 

 i., jSiiteo vulgaris Fleming)^ domesticated and kept in the 

 garden, was every year set with some eggs of the common 

 poultry, which she sat upon with great assiduity, and hatched 

 at the usual time. When the chickens were liberated from 

 the shell, this furious stepmother would scarcely allow any 

 person to approach the wooden box in which the chickens 

 were hatched, and to which they retired whenever they 

 chose ; and no dog or cat could approach them without being 

 furiously assailed by the indignant inhabitant. This bird had 

 another singular faculty : it used to roll up a round ball of 

 dirt, on which it usually stood, instead of standing with its 

 feet flat on the ground : and there is a portrait painted of it 

 standing in its favourite position on the ball of dirt. Its fury 

 surpassed that of the common hen whilst the chickens were 

 young, but gradually abated as they grew older ; and I have 

 seen some full-grown fowl of its own hatching with it in the 

 garden, feeding and living together. It was at length killed, 

 in the lane adjoining the garden, by some malicious person. 



Safe Mode of transporting Eggs to be hatched. — Again, 

 whilst on the subject of eggs and hatching, I can state an 

 excellent mode of carrying eggs which may have been sat 

 upon, so as to preserve them unspoiled until a hen can be 

 found to put them under. A few years ago, whilst crossing 

 a heathy country, my horse trod up a widgeon (Mareca fis- 



