368 REMOVAL OF EGGS AND YOUNG. 



know, on good authority, that the Pheasant will, in like 

 manner, when alarmed carry off her eggs and form a new 

 nest, but with respect to the Woodcock also, the fact may 

 be considered as now established on the authority of other 

 competent witnesses, who had had repeated opportunities 

 of ascertaining the point, in other parts of Scotland, 

 where Woodcocks frequently breed. It is probably, 

 indeed, more commonly adopted by birds than we 

 suspect; it has been noticed in the case of the Ring-tailed 

 Glede (Falco cyaneus), and the following account from 

 eye-witnesses bears similar testimony to the power of 

 the Owl. 



A friend of ours had taken a brood of young Owls, 

 and placed them in a recess on a barn-floor, from whence, 

 to his surprise, they soon disappeared, and were again 

 discovered in their original breeding-place. Determined 

 to solve the mystery of this unaccountable removal, he 

 placed them on the barn-floor, and concealing himself, 

 watched their proceedings, when to his surprise he soon 

 perceived the parent birds gliding down, and entwining 

 their feet in the feet of their young ones, flew off with them 

 to their nest. To confirm the fact beyond a doubt, the 

 experiment was often repeated, in the presence of other 

 witnesses. We have also on record a remarkable instance 

 of Nightingales removing their eggs under peculiar 

 circumstances, communicated by Mr. Merveaux of the 

 French Academy of Sciences. A pair of these birds had 

 built their nest in his garden in the lower part of a hedge, 

 containing four eggs, when some water in the neigbour- 

 hood rose with such impetuosity as to inundate the 

 garden. Mr. Merveaux watched the Nightingales with 

 some anxiety and one day when the water had reached 

 to within six paces of the nest, he only perceived two 

 eggs. He at first thought that the nest had been 

 abandoned, but coming to it very soon after, he only saw 

 one, and this time he waited to see the result, and was 

 much astonished to see the last egg disappear with the 

 birds, who flying cautiously but rapidly, earned it to a 



