304 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



brood, was roused to madness by an unprovoked attack made 

 by a voracious rat, on her unsuspecting companion. The 

 shrieks of the beloved captive, while dragged away by the 

 enemy, excited every maternal feeling in the affectionate bosom 

 of the feathered dame : she flew at the corner whence the 

 alarm arose, seized the lurking enemy by the neck, writhed 

 him about the room, put out one of his eyes in the engage- 

 ment, and so fatigued her opponent by repeated attacks of 

 spur and bill, that in the space of twelve minutes, during 

 which time the conflict lasted, she put a final period to the 

 invader's existence ; nimbly turned round, in wild but triumph- 

 ant distraction, to her palpitating nestling, and hugged it 

 in her victorious bosom." In this same work there is a story 

 of a hen, near Exeter, which devoted itself with much assiduity 

 and success to catching mice. Hens often take to other 

 animals and have been known to show great attachment to 

 kittens, and to dogs, instances being recorded of hens living 

 in dogs' kennels and laying their eggs there under canine 

 protection. The concern shown by hens, when the ducks 

 they may have hatched take to the water, is very amusing. 

 Captain Brown gives an instance of a hen which had 

 become used to this phenomena, from having been employed 

 in hatching successive broods of ducks, and which showed 

 equal concern when a brood of her own chickens avoided 

 the watery element 



ORDER VI. The Hoazin is the only bird of this order. 

 The Hoazin. It belongs to Brazil and Guiana and is nearly 

 as large as the peacock. It has been variously classified but, 

 differing in important characteristics from any other bird, it 

 is deemed best to place it in an order by itself. 

 ORDER VII. This order includes the Vultures, Condors, 

 Birds of Prey. Eagles, Kites, Falcons, Goshawks, Sparrow- 

 hawks, Buzzards, Kestrals, Owls, &c., &c. Interesting as many 

 of these birds are the briefest possible mention is all that 

 we can give of some of them. 



