Rearing Young Birds. 89- 



hard ; some were contemptuous ; some hopped away ' r 

 but a few were kind and fed the little beggar. 

 One of the most provoking of fledglings, however, 

 is the cuckoo. I have been told by a person con- 

 tinually amongst woods that it is really touching to* 

 see the anxiety with which the poor Hedge Sparrow, 

 after standing on tiptoe for many days to feed her 

 giant nestling, is entirely overwhelmed when he first- 

 hops out to take the air by the enormous size and 

 strength of that tender chick ; the poor little Sparrow 

 is then seen hopping humbly after it, in the most 

 ludicrous attitude of meekness and consternation. 



Sometimes, when there is much difficulty in bring- 

 ing up young birds, it even answers to hang the 

 cage out of doors, observing the precautions I have 

 already mentioned. As many as forty Sparrows have 

 been seen bringing food, it is said, to a set of 

 nestlings thus hung up in a cage, and I can speak 

 by my own experience of the friendly feelings between 

 the wild and tame birds. 



In the country, of course, one expects the birds 

 to be unsophisticated, but in London I confess that 

 it would not have occurred to me to give those pert 

 little Sparrows credit for such gentle ways. 



