NATUIIAL HISTORY. 303 



" Encourag'd thus, she brought her youitfflings nigh, 

 Watching the motions of her patron's eye, .' 

 And drank a sober draught; the rest amaz'd. 

 Stood mutely still, and on the stranger gazed." DKTDEN. 



distance, and much assiduity is required to collect it in sufficient 

 quantity, the voracity of nestlings being almost insatiable. 



Therefore, the assistance of the male in this work is in most 

 species almost indispensable. When the brood is numerous, it 

 would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the female 

 alone to procure the requisite supply. 



But in animals which suckle their young, the assistance of the 

 male parent is not needed. 



971. The affection of both male and female birds for their young has been 

 manifested in a remarkable degree in instances that have fallen under human 

 observation. " When I was a boy," says Smellic, " I carried off a nest of young 

 sparrows, about a mile from my place of residence. After the nest was completely 

 removed, and while I was marching home with them in triumph, I perceived, 

 with some degree of astonishment, both the parents following me at some distance, 

 and observing my motions in perfect silence. A thought then struck me that they 

 might follow me home, and feed the young according to their usual manner. 

 When just entering the door I held up the nest, and made the young ones utter the 

 cry expressive of the desire of food. I immediately put the nest and the yonng in 

 the corner of a wire cage, and placed it on the outside of a window. I chose a 

 situation in the room where I could perceive all that should happen without being 

 myself seen. The young animals soon cried for food. In a short time both 

 parents, having their bills filled with small caterpillars, came to the cage, and 

 after chatting a little, as we do with a friend through the lattice of a prison, gave a 

 small worm to each. This parental intercourse continued regularly for some time, 

 till the young ones were completely fledged, and had acquired a considerable 

 degree of strength. I then took one of the strongest of them and placed him on 

 the outside of the cage, in order to observe the conduct of the parents after one of 

 their offspring was emancipated. In a few minutes both parents arrived, loaded, 

 as usual, with food. They no sooner perceived that one of their children had 

 escaped from prison, than they fluttered about 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 conversa- 

 . tion. 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 attempted. They, however, incessantly repeated their solicita- 

 tions ; by flying alternately from the cage to a neighbouring chimney-top, they 

 endeavoured 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 exhibited. Next day, I repeated the same 

 experiment, by exposing another ef the voimg ones on the top of the cage. I 



