TRAINING OF YOUNG BIRDS. 175 



their offspring was emancipated. In a few minutes 

 both parents arrived, loaded, as usual, with food. 

 They no sooner perceived that one of their chil- 

 dren had escaped from prison, than they fluttered 

 ahout and made a thousand demonstrations of joy, 

 both with their wings and with their voices. These 

 tumultuous expressions of unexpected happiness at 

 last gave place to a more calm and soothing con- 

 versation. By their voices and their movements it 

 was evident that they earnestly entreated him to 

 follow them, and to fly from his present dangerous 

 state. He seemed to be impatient to obey their 

 mandates ; but, by his gestures and the feeble 

 sounds he uttered, he plainly expressed that he was 

 afraid to try an exertion he had never before at- 

 tempted. They, however, incessantly repeated 

 their solicitations ; by flying alternately from the 

 cage to a neighbouring chimney- top, they endeav- 

 oured to show him how easily the journey was to 

 be accomplished. He at last committed himself 

 to the air, and alighted in safety. On his arrival, 

 another scene of clamorous and active joy was ex- 

 hibited. Next day I repeated the same experiment, 

 by exposing another of the young ones on the top 

 of the cage. I observed the same conduct with the 

 remainder of the brood, which consisted of four. I 

 need hardly add, that not one, either of the parents 

 or children, ever afterward revisited the execrated 

 cage.' 1 * 



It does not appear to us that, in the instance of 

 carnivorous birds, the bringing of live prey to the 

 young, and of inviting them to kill and devour it, is 

 capable of being interpreted, as it usually has been, 

 as an instance of training them to hunt. We have 

 seen a kitten brought up by hand from the day it 

 could see, and, of course, before the mother had 

 any opportunity of instructing it to mouse, exhibit 



* Philosophy of Natural History. 



