AFFECTION OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS. 377 



birds lost all sense of fear; and, for eight or 

 nine days, they flew out of their snug retreat 

 every morning, and returned to it through the 

 once formidable glass-opening to roost for tht 

 night. 



When there are more than one brood of nest- 

 lings in a season, the parents very frequently take 

 charge of their first, as well as of their subsequent 

 families, and may be seen at times surrounded by 

 their progeny. But a singular case has been nar- 

 rated, which shows that, as is often the case in 

 families of another species, the elder brothers and 

 sisters took care of the second brood, fed, and 

 finally reared them. The anecdote was originally 

 related to the Bev. W. Bree. " At the bottom of 

 the walk," says the narrator, " between the house 

 and the garden, in winter runs a brook, but in 

 summer there is only still water, which is inha- 

 bited by water-hens. The water-hens have be- 

 come quite tame from persons constantly pass- 

 ing and repassing. This year, 1833, in the spring, 

 a pair of them hatched some young ones ; and, as 

 soon as they were fledged, made another nest and 

 hatched some more. The young ones of the second 

 hatch left the old birds, and have been adopted by 



