116 THE HISTORY OF ANIMALS. [B. VI. 



pierces the eyes of young swallows they recover, and are 

 able to see afterwards. 



CHAPTER VI. 



1. THE eagle produces three eggs, of which two only are 

 hatched. This is also related in the poems of Musaeas. 

 The bird which lays three eggs, hatches two, and brings up 

 but one. This frequently happens ; but three young have 

 bee.?} seen in the nest. W hen the young begin to grow, one 

 of them is turned out by the parent, because she dislikes the 

 trouble of feeding it. At this period it is said to be without 

 food, so that it does not capture the young of wild crea- 

 tures, for a few days the talons are turned back, and the 

 feathers become white, so that it then becomes cruel to its 

 young. The phene 1 receives and brings up the ejected 

 young one. 



2. The eagle incubates for thirty days ; this is the usual 

 period of incubation for large birds, as the goose and the 

 bustard. Moderately sized birds usually sit twenty days, as 

 the ictinus 2 and hierax. 3 The ictinus usually produces two 

 young ones, and sometimes three ; the ^Etolian kite, as it 

 is called, sometimes produces four. The raven produces not 

 only two, but, as they say, many eggs, which she sits upon 

 for about twenty days. She also turns out some of her 

 young ones. Many other birds do the same thing ; and 

 generally those which produce several turn out one. 



3. All kinds of eagles do not behave in the same way to 

 their young ; but the pygargus is cruel ; and the black eagles 

 are careful for the food of their young ; but all birds with 

 crooked talons as soon as their young can fly well beat them 

 and drive them from the nest. And most birds of other 

 classes, as I have before observed, do the same tiling ; and 

 when they have brought them up, they take no more notice 

 of them, except the crow. This bird cares for its young a 

 long while, for as it flies past them it gives them food after 

 they are able to fly. 



CHAPTER VII. 



1. THE cuckoo is said by some persons to be a changed hawk, 



because the hawk which it resembles disappears when thf 



1 Vultur cinereus, ossifragus, osprey. a Kite. 3 Hawk. 



