GUARDIAN OF THE NEST. 233 



Sometimes, however, the male bird has to exert 

 himself in the defence of his partner and their 

 common treasure. Mr. Waterton supplies us 

 with an account of a valiant bird, a misletoe-thrush, 

 or stormcock, which showed its affection to its 

 partner, and its resolution in her defence, in the 

 most unequivocal manner. This bird had built its 

 nest within a few yards of the place where some 

 stone-masons were at work; a tame magpie had 

 seized the female bird, and dragged her above to 

 where the workmen were ; the male bird, dis- 

 tressed at seeing his partner in this predicament, 

 instantly came up, and fell upon the magpie with 

 invincible fury. The magpie, resisting for a while, 

 was at length compelled to let the fluttering pri- 

 soner go free ; and both birds returned in triumph 

 to the nest only the poor female left half of her 

 tail behind her, which she had lost in the fray. 



Hitherto we have mentioned the female only as 

 taking part in incubation ; it is interesting, how- 

 ever, to find that in this parental duty the male in 

 some instances relieves his partner, and takes his 

 station in the nest. The blackcap-warbler is par- 

 ticularly remarked for his attention to this duty ; 

 this little bird seems even to delight in the occu- 



