OF NATURE. 427 



song, attracted thither, probably, by some ripe ivy berries that 

 grew near the place. 



I have remarked something like the latter fact, for I re- 

 member, many years ago, seeing a pair of these birds fly up 

 repeatedly and attack some larger bird, which I suppose 

 disturbed their nest in my orchard, uttering at the same time 

 violent shrieks. Since writing the above, I have seen more 

 than once a pair of these birds attack some magpies that had 

 disturbed their nest, with great violence and loud shrieks. 

 MAEKWIOK. 



POULTRY*. 



Many creatures are endowed with a ready discernment to 

 see what will turn to their own advantage and emolument ; 

 and often discover more sagacity than could be expected. 

 Thus my neighbour's poultry watch for waggons loaded with 

 wheat, and running after them pick up a number of grains 

 which are shaken from the sheaves by the agitation of the 

 carriages. Thus, when my brother used to take down his gun 

 to shoot sparrows, his cats would run out before him, to be 

 ready to catch up the birds as they fell. 



The earnest and early propensity of the gallinae to roost on 

 high is very observable ; and discovers a strong dread im- 

 pressed on their spirits respecting vermin that may annoy 

 them on the ground during the hours of darkness. Hence 



* [It will not, perhaps, be out of place here to mention a curious fact 

 showing the power possessed by some domestic poultry of detecting the 

 presence of putridity in eggs, and their intolerance of such in the nest. 

 A Muscovy duck in my poultry-yard was sitting upon a large number of 

 eggs, I believe 21. She every morning left the nest to take her bath, 

 leaving the eggs carefully covered. One morning, on returning to the 

 nest, she removed the covering of feathers and down as usual, and then 

 appeared to examine every egg in succession by passing her beak over it, 

 and at leng:.h paused at one egg, carried it a couple of yards from the 

 nest, broke it bv a sharp stroke with her beak, and then returned to her 

 duties of incubation. The egg was addled and fetid. My coachman and 

 myself watched this singular example of special instinct. T. B.] 



