FAMILY CARES— NURSERY DUTIES. 167 



its wings, which were absolutely featherless, as 

 with hands, the bastard wing (unusually large in 

 proportion) looking like a spread-out thumb. 

 The most singular thing of all was the direct 

 purpose with which the blind little monster 

 made for the open side of the nest, the only 

 part where it could throw its burthen down the 

 bank. I think all the spectators felt the sort of 

 horror and awe at the apparent inadequacy of 

 the creature's intelligence to its acts that one 

 might have felt at seeing a toothless hag raise 

 a ghost by an incantation. It was horribly ' un- 

 canny and gruesome.' " 



His fell purpose effected, the little murderer 

 settles down to greedily absorb the nourishment 

 which should rightfully have been shared be- 

 tween himself and foster brothers and sisters. 

 In about a fortnight he is completely fledged 

 and can leave the nest. But he by no means 

 releases those upon whose charity he has been 

 thrown. Up to within a short time of his 

 leaving the land which gave him birth he holds 

 them in thraldom, — "the victims of his mother's 

 dupery," to quote Prof. Newton. As this writer 

 further remarks, "Their actions when he attains 

 his full stature become almost ridiculous, for they 

 have often to perch between his shoulders to place 

 in his gaping, upturned mouth the delicate morsels 

 he is too lazy or too stupid to take from their 

 bill. The tine during which he is thus sup- 

 ported by his foster-parents has not been deter- 

 mined, but it seems to last for some weeks." 



If we have an instance of crime in Nature it 

 seems to be here. The desire to explain the origin 



