DIFFERENCES FROM THE OLD BIRDS. 327 



person so as to warm it, until finally the chicken 

 was hatched. Whether it lived under the foster- 

 ing care of so exalted an adopted parent, the his- 

 torian has omitted to state. Reaumur was informed 

 by a friend of his that a lady of their acquaintance 

 carried four eggs of a goldfinch about her until 

 they were hatched. 



The young bird, as need scarcely be stated, 

 differs much in appearance and in plumage from 

 the old one, and this often for some time subse- 

 quently. Singular mistakes are sometimes made 

 in consequence of this, and that by naturalists of 

 the highest eminence. Perhaps one of the drollest 

 and most remarkable was one made by Audubon 

 himself. lie saw two pretty birds sitting in a 

 tree, which appeared to him to belong to some new 

 species. He discovered their nest, and the young- 

 ones just fledged, and adds, " The scarcity of this 

 species in the United States putting me in mind 

 of that of true friendship among men, I have 

 named it after my most esteemed friend, as a tri- 

 bute of sincere gratitude for the unremitted kind- 

 ness which he has shown me." Unfortunately, 

 however, this new species turned out to be only 

 the young birds of a very common species of 



