446 THE FEATHERED TRTBES. 



a nest within a. bnndlc of 2>ea-sticks, which were phxcccl in the garden for them to rim 

 under and hide themselves. 



" This nest was tlie joint production of male and female ; it was placed on the ground 

 within the pea-sticks, and shaped much like a wren's, with a hole on one side, and covered 

 over at top. After the hen had laid about twelve eggs she began to sit, and with as 

 much assiduity as our common hen. "When I thought it was her time to hatch, I 

 examined her iiest, and found it deserted, and the egg-shells, which had evidently 

 contained young birds, lying about. Much pleased with this circumstance, I went 

 cautiously about to find the dam with her little ones ; and, after searching a considerable 

 time, the first ' intimation I had of her presence was from her flj'ing in my face with 

 great agitation, like our common hen. I retired much gratified, and observed the young 

 ones, nine in number, collect again under the wings of their mother. The assiduity of 

 this excellent parent was truly exemplary, and her attention unremitting, and she reared 

 them ever}' one with very little trouble. What is very singular, there were eight cocks 

 and but one hen, all of whom were reared till they moulted, and got their didl plumage ; 

 when, from some cause which I never could ascertain, they began to droop one after 

 another ; and before Christmas all the young birds died. Though I examined the 

 stomachs and gizzards of most of them, yet I never could find out the cause of their 

 deaths ; but I have little doubt of its being some deleterious substance picked up in the 

 place where I separated ihem from the old ones, soon after they became fully fledged, as 

 the old birds escaped this mortality. 



" The other pair never bred ; but it was easily accounted for, as the hen was unwell 

 from the time I tiu'ued them down, and she lingered on till October, and then died. 



" Previously to and during' the time the hen was sitting, the cock serenaded her 

 with his harsh and singular notes ; some of them very similar to the mewing of a cat. 

 He had also a peculiarity of constantly running round in a circle, till the ground 

 whereon he performed his evolutions was worn as bare as a road, and the turf trodden 

 down much in the same way as it is by the Rufl' in the fens during the season of 

 incubation. 



" Nothing could be more cordial and harmonious than this happy family. When the 

 shades of evening approached, they crowded together in a circle on the ground, and 

 prepared for the slumbers of the night by placing their tails altogether, with their prett}' 

 mottled chins facing to the front, in a watchful round-robin. 



" When food was thrown in for them, which consisted chiefly of spirted barley and 

 wheat, and occasi(jnally bread, the male bird would peck at the grain, but not eat any 

 liimself until he had called his family around him first to partake of the food, which he 

 did with many soft blandishments, and with much strutting and spreading of the AN-ings 

 and lail. 



" I was greatly disappointed at the loss of this interesting family ; and I waited with 

 some impatience for the result of another season. The season at length arrived : they 

 built their nest again as before ; the hen laid about sixteen eggs ; when, to my great 

 mortification, just as she had begun to sit, I found her dead one morning ; and cannot 

 otherwi.se account for the circumstance than by suppf)sing tluit something must have 

 fn'o-htened her in the night, and caused her to fly up with violence against the wires, 

 wluch proved fatal to her. Thus ended ray hopes of domesticating this elegant little 

 bird, as I have not been able to procure another female. I wished nnich to breed some 

 7nore, and turn them out if successful, as they lay many eggs, and are much more easily 

 reared than cither the pheasants or partridges." 



Next to the large and varied family just considered, is another, termed Slnilhldtiiihv. 

 Its members, though diilering from each other in many important particulai's, all agree 

 in certain prominent features. Their fonii is massive and heavy, the great development 



