44 HISTORY OF THE 



cat, though there never was the least probability 

 that it would be restored to liberty. 



A still more extraordinary account is given by 

 Montagu in the introduction to the Ornithologi- 

 cal Dictionary, p. 33, and following, of some 

 golden-crested wrens, which were brought up in 

 captivity by the parent birds. The narrator took 

 the nest, he informs us, when the young were 

 about six days old, and, putting it in a small 

 basket, enticed the old ones by degrees to his 

 study window. After allowing them sufficient 

 time to become familiar with that situation, he 

 placed the basket within the window, and then 

 at the opposite side of the room. It is remark- 

 able, he observes, that, although the female 

 seemed regardless of danger, from her affection 

 for her offspring, yet the male never once ven- 

 tured into the room, though he constantly fed 

 the young birds while they were at the outside 

 of the window. The female, on the contrary, 

 would feed them at the table at which he sat, 

 and even when he held the nest in his hand, 

 provided he remained motionless ; but, on mov- 

 ing his head one day, while she was on the edge 

 of the nest, she made a precipitate retreat, mis- 

 took the closed for the open part of the window, 

 knocked herself against the glass, and fell 

 breathless on the floor, where she lay for some 



