THE SOLITAIRE 223 



high from the ground, on which they sit. They 

 never lay but one egg, which is much bigger than 

 that of a Goose. The male and female both cover 

 it in their turns ; and the young, which is not able 

 to provide for itself in several months, is not 

 hatched till at seven weeks' end. All the while 

 they are sitting upon it they will not suffer any 

 other bird of theii' species to come within two 

 hundred yards round of the place ; but what is 

 very singular is, the males will never drive away 

 the females, only when he perceives one he makes 

 a noise with his wings to call the female, and she 

 drives the unwelcome stranger away, not leaving 

 it till 'tis without her bounds. The female does 

 the same as to the males, and he drives them away. 

 We have observed this several times, and I affirm 

 it to be true. 



" The combats between them on this occasion last 

 sometimes pretty long, because the stranger only 

 turns about, and does not fly [flee] directly from 

 the nest. However, the other do not forsake it till 

 they have quite driven it out of their limits. After 

 these birds have raised their young one, and left it 

 to itself, they are always together, which the other 

 birds are not, and though they happen to mingle 

 with other birds of the same species, these two 



