THE YOUTH OF BIRDS. 173 



a meteor, and perhaps in their migration must traverse vast continents 

 and oceans as distant as the equator! so soon does Nature advance small 

 birds to their '(h)elikia/ or state of perfection; while the progressive growth 

 of men and large quadrupeds is slow ^nd tedious," 



There are, however, some of our small native birds which at once put 

 on such a portion of their mature plumage as to be recognised at once, as 

 the Wrens and the Titmice, whilst the White Wagtail is grey till the first 

 moult, and Starlings are brown. Woodpeckers are also dark grey speckled, 

 although the red head is partially developed, and their shape is unmistakeable. 



With regard to the voices of young birds, they are all more or less 

 sibilous, and all have what is termed the "call-note" — the first attempts at 

 song being termed ^'recording," and very pretty these little attempts at 

 song are. I know of no prettier sight than to see a pair of little heath 

 birds, Stonechats for example, feeding their young — a sight that I have 

 watched for hours, and when I returned from the sweet contemplation, 

 have felt my mind refined, as it were, by it; indeed thus to enjoy, if it 

 is only an hour, in such society, amidst the pure air of Heaven, rendered 

 aromatic by the surrounding wild herbage, is a treat sufiicient at any time 

 to change the current of one's thoughts in a manner very disparaging to 

 the scenes of common life to which we must return. 



The only peculiar youth among birds which is striking to the mind, is 

 that of the Cuckoo, and this seems so unnatural, that there is not an 

 urchin, country bred, who has not seen it without feelings of pity and curiosity. 

 It is unnecessary for me to repeat here the unceremonious manner in which 

 the Cuckoo intrudes her egg into the nests of other small insectivorous birds, 

 usually choosing the Titlark for that purpose, nor how equally unceremoniously 

 the young intruder shoulders out the real owners, and takes solitary pos- 

 session. I suppose, upon the instinct of self-preservation well known, two 

 poor little birds, such as Titlarks, must work hard even to maintain him, 

 and a fortiori, it would be impossible to support the legitimate brood 

 with such an addition. All this has been often told, and is well known, 

 and many attempts have been made to detain this undomestic gentleman 

 through a winter, but with ill-success. 



The youth of our common birds is a pleasing study, and ever before usj 

 let us learn from it the path of domestic and parental duty, and see, as 

 in a glass, our own reciprocal obligations thus figured to us, what our 

 affection as parents should be, and what as children we owe to those parents, 

 who have wrought, and toiled, and striven for our support, watched us 

 whilst we slept, and felt a joy not to be told, when they perceived from 

 day to day our progress towards maturity. Let us never fail to profit by 

 the lesson, for all these things are "for our examples," 



Pemhroke Square, Kensington, June 10th., 185G. 



