I20 Olr Bird Friexds. 



adequate suppl}' of wild birds' eggs, she used to 

 visit a farmer's Fowl-house and take aAvay Hens' 

 eggs, and even the Indian corn npon which the 

 birds w^ere fed. I saw her leave the Fowl -house 

 one day and found the maize at her nest, which I 

 discovered whilst wandering al)Out in a little hill- 

 side Avood not far away. It was in a ratlier 

 awkward tree to climb, so I thought I would try 

 to find out what it contained by a little trick. I 

 croaked like a Crow, and at the very first call four 

 black heads shot up and four great mouths opened 

 horribly wide. Later on I climbed the tree in 

 order to make a closer insjX'Ction of the sable 

 family: but upon uiy appi-oadi the chicks all took 

 wing, save one, which had its ]X)rtrait taken and 

 was kept for some days Ity a cousin of ours as 

 a pet. It soon beii'au t(» understand tlu'ngs. and 

 swallowed worms, young frogs, minnows, and so 

 forth with e(jual relish and good results so far as 

 its bodily health was concerned. 



The different methods adopted ly birds ot' 

 various species in fee<ling their young are very 

 interesting. 



The Osprey plunges like an arrow from the 

 clotids into the dark depths of a mountain loch, 

 and seizing a large trout, brings it along in its 

 talons and, standing on the edge of its eyrie, tears 

 pieces off and drops them into the widely-opened 

 mouths of its chicks, even when they have grown 

 quite large: but the (lolden Fagle appears to allow 



