THE OOLOGIST, 



45 



Let us look at the first and second 

 classes of birds niontioiied above. We may 

 reasonably state that the carefulness of a 

 bird in protecting its treasures, is in a di- 

 rect ratio witli its affection ; so that when 

 we affirm for instance, the Ruffed Grouse 

 or Black-throated (ireen Warbler to be a- 

 mong the foremost of bii'ds in tlieir attach- 

 ment to their eggs, we imply that in the 

 breeding season, they guard them with un- 

 scrupulous care, and aie quickest to per- 

 ceive any danger to them. But here ai'ises 

 a question : If a bird possesses great affec- 

 tion, shoidd we suppose it on that account 

 to leave its eggs when discovered, or to in- 

 definitely deposit if robbed ? Certainly a 

 superficial glance at the subject would e- ; 

 duce the logical query : that if a bird is af- 

 fectionate, why should she desert her eggs ? \ 

 That she should naturally, after abandon- \ 

 iug her nest, — the eggs not having been 

 taken — betake herself to a I'emote locali- 

 ty, is nothing singular. Instinct is involv- 

 ed in the question, whichever way it may 

 be proposed ; if a mother cherishes her eggs 

 with great attachment, she is ever the most 

 active, a.s above remarked, in avoiding dan- 

 ger, for It is one of her chief duties to pro- , 

 tect ; as soon as she is aware that her treas- j 

 ures are in jeopardy, her instinct is quick j 

 to prompt her to remove to a safer locali- 1 

 ty ; she cannot move the eggs — sometimes ' 

 she destroys them, preferring to suffer, like ! 

 the followers of Adcantuannus of Gallic 

 fame, rather than have her valued friends 

 fall into the hands of an enemy. This, we 

 think is the highest type of affection among '< 

 birds : that, superficial as the conclusion 

 may appear, it cannot well be undermined. 

 For, if a bird deposits eggs to a large num- 

 ber, or rnther deposits n)aiiy sets, having; 

 been deprived of them again aiul again, the ' 

 open character of the proceeding at once j 

 denominates the bird as undetermined and I 

 indifferent ; and the fact of a bird's nesting 

 in the same lo(,-ality year alter year, under ; 

 the most discouraging circumstances, points 

 out either a most decided want of affection j 

 or an unusual degree of stupidity — proba- 1 

 biy a little of both. ■ 



To that class of birds which guard their 

 eggs with great care, belong notably the 

 Sandpipers, Plovers, Warblers and Mead- 

 ow Lark. The Sandpipers are in almost 

 every way, very particular birds — they are 

 always suspicious, easily agitated, and 

 watch their nest with most untiring zeal, 

 day and night. If an egg is turned with 

 the lai'ge end toward the center of the nest, 

 they, upon discovering the fact, search the 

 surrounding vicinity, and demean them- 

 selves as if undetermined whether to re- 

 gard the indications dangerous or not, but 

 they usually return to the nest, and if not 

 disturbed again, remain by the eggs until 

 hatched. The more mysterious and unac- 

 countable the manner in which any unusual 

 aijpeurance of the eggs or nest seems to have 

 been effected, the more likely is the bird to 

 desert them, — at least it has been so found 

 in our experience — for the winged and four- 

 footed enemies, those depredators who' of- 

 ten conceal the ownership of their piracv, 

 are more dreaded than man. In regard to 

 their young, the Sandpipers are very affec- 

 tionate, more so than most other birds. 

 They exhibit a recklessness that is not com- 

 mendable except for its purpose. We once 

 caught a female in a hat extended at the 

 end of a switch without any great difficul- 

 ty, so zealous was she in her endeavors to 

 distract our attention from her young. The 

 Warblers as a class, are greatly attached 

 to their homes, and their generally retiring, 

 shy demeanor upon the approach of a stran- 

 ger, is no indication of their indifference. 

 This leads us to mention the different modes 

 of timid birds of showing attachment to their 

 eggs, and as to whether or not they endeav- 

 or in any manner to protect them. In the 

 first place, it is proper to state that the fe- 

 male is not alvxiys the one repi-eseuting the 

 chief protectorship, as many authors would 

 have us take for granted ; if the ornitholo- 

 gist will apply himself to this particular, 

 in connection with the study of the affection 

 of birds, he will be brought into contact 

 with many examples in support of this state- 

 ment. We must reasonably suppose that 

 the sitting bird is at the time, the main 



