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maternal one. When the two instincts come into 

 opposition the more powerful prevails — the birds 

 migrate and leave their j'oung to perish. If it be 

 not blind instmct that teaches birds to rear up their 

 young, how can we account for the same pair of 

 wagtails bringing up young cuckoos in two successive 

 years ? 



Koel nestlings are not so utterly depraved as some 

 young cuckoos are. They do not seem to be in the 

 habit of murdering their foster-brethren by pitching 

 them over the side of the nest. 



Crows certainly appear to be fond of their foster- 

 children, they are probably much taken with their 

 long tail. Eha states that he once saw *' a pair of 

 crows feeding a clamorous young koel, together with 

 its foster-brother, their own child. It was hungry 

 and clamorous too, but the koel appeared to be the 

 favourite with the parents.^' 



But perhaps the arch enemies of the crow are the 

 wicked divinities vv^ho live in Hades, for, according 

 to the Mundas of Chota Nagpur, (and they know as 

 much about the matter as anybody does) the afore- 



