166 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



could conveniently be contained in the bowl of an 

 ordinary tablespoon."* 



The extraordinary affection exhibited by the pa- 

 rent birds for their young is strikingly exemplified 

 in the instances recorded of their risking their own 

 freedom and safety by venturing into houses whith- 

 er their nestlings have been carried. We once 

 witnessed an instance of this in a pair of gold- 

 finches, who were, however, enticed by hanging the 

 cage containing the nestlings upon their native tree 

 in an orchard, from which it was gradually removed 

 to the outside of a window, and afterward taken in- 

 doors, whither the parent goldfinches followed, and 

 assiduously supplied their young with food. No 

 attempt was made to catch the old ones ; yet with 

 all their anxiety to supply the young with food, 

 they took care, although the window was left open 

 for them, never to remain in the room during the 

 night, roosting always in an adjacent tree in the or- 

 chard. An interesting story of a similar kind is 

 told by Colonel Montagu respecting the gold-crest- 

 ed wren (Regulus cristatus, RAY). 



" A pair," says he, '* of these birds, who took pos- 

 session of a fir-tree in my garden, ceased their 

 notes as soon as the young were hatched ; and as 

 this beautiful little family caused me much delight 

 and amusement, some observations thereon may 

 not be unacceptable to the curious reader. When 

 first I discovered the nest 1 thought it a favourable 

 opportunity to become acquainted with some of the 

 manners of this minute species, and to endeavour 

 to discover whether the male ever sung by way of 

 instructing the young ones. Accordingly, I took the 

 nest, when the young were about six days old, 

 placed it in a small basket, and by degrees enticed 

 the old ones to my study-window ; and after they 

 became familiar with that situation, the basket was 



* Rev. W. T. Bree, Mag. Nat. Hist., iii., 37. 



