130 THE 



such cases, the nest is constantly guarded by one of 

 the parties, so that no crow, raven, nor even pole- 

 cat, dares approach it. 



" The mother will not forsake her eggs, when near 

 hatching, while life remains ; she will suffer an en- 

 closure to be made around and imprison her, rather 

 than abandon her charge. Mr Audubon witnessed 

 the hatching of a brood, while thus endeavouring to 

 secure the young and mother. 4 1 have lain flat/ 

 says he, ' within a very few feet, and seen her gent- 

 ly rise from the eggs, look anxiously towards thejn, 

 chuck with a sound peculiar to the mother on such 

 an occasion, remove carefully each half empty shell, 

 and with her bill caress and dry the younglings, that 

 already stand tottering and attempting to force their 

 way out of the nest.' 



" When the process of incubation is ended, and 

 the mother is about to retire from the nest with her 

 young brood, she shakes herself violently, picks and 

 adjusts the feathers about the belly, and assumes a 

 different aspect ; her eyes are alternately inclined 

 obliquely upwards and sideways ; she stretches forth 

 her neck in every direction, to discover birds of prey 

 or other enemies ; her wings are partially spread, and 

 she softly clucks to keep her tender offspring close 

 to her side. They proceed slowly, and, as the hatch- 

 ing generally occurs in the afternoon, they some- 

 times return to pass the night in the nest. While 

 very young, the mother leads them to elevated dry 

 peaces, as if aware that humidity, during the first few 



